DoubleTale: Rewritten
by XWolf26
Summary: What if two humans were in the Underground at once? What if one human was DETERMINED to stop the other? What if they could both SAVE? What happens when an Unstoppable Force meets an Immovable Object? When a certain scientist pulls enough of himself together, he finally finds a way to stop the destruction of his world. All he has to do is break through one wall... (A rewrite of DT.)
1. Chapter 1: Golden Petals

**Happy Holidays. ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

Golden petals and blinding light.

That's what I woke up to _that_ oh so infamous morning.

Not my alarm - which hardly worked, anyway -, not my-...

Wait, did I even go to bed?

I certainly would never pass out in a hole like this.

... Why was I in a hole?

I groaned with pain as I sat up, my body aching with whatever muscle and bone damage came from plummeting out of that shiny petal hole.

Petal.

Not to be confused with pedal.

Very different words.

... Thinking about it, this was more of a cavern than a hole.

And it was giving me the most... Destinyish case of deja vu.

Meh.

As I felt myself for injury, I noticed a foreign object in my pocket, and I reached in to retrieve it.

My... Pen?

 **Pen:**

 **Mightier than the sword. +2 ATK.**

I stared at the blue ballpoint with surprise and curiosity in my eyes.

"Where did this..?" My voice echoed, drawing my eyes back to my surroundings.

"You know what? More important questions." I climbed to my feet, the ache in my bones subsiding.

"Like, for example..." I held my arms out to the side, throwing my head back.

"WHERE THE FUCK AM I?!"

 **Chapter 1: Golden Petals**

 _"This is my game. And you have no place in it."_

* * *

After a few more moments of staring up at the light I mentioned earlier, my arms dropped back to my sides, my shoulders sunk forward, and my head dropped.

My lungs deflated with a sigh, and I reached up, rubbing my eyelids with my index finger and thumb.

"Okay, so..." My eyes drifted around the room, eyebrow arching up in confusion. "Fever dream?"

My eyes drifted down to the flowers of gold that I had landed on, examining them curiously.

"Was I sick..?" One hand in my pocket, I looked to my left hand. Pale skin, long fingers. In my childhood, I'd been called Spider Hands once or twice. "Was I on something..?"

Oddly, I could remember bits and pieces of who I was as I racked my brain, leaves crunching under my feet - tootsies, I would call them when I would take my shoes off in class - and yet simple, important details eluded me.

What was my name, for example? My brain just kept saying 'Number sign number sign number sign number sign' whenever I asked the question, but I kept telling it that something that stupid would never be someone's name.

 _Crunch, crunch, crunch..._

Unless, I was like, a lab experiment? But that really wouldn't add up, considering the random memories I _did_ have.

I guess I probably should have been panicking. But, I didn't feel too much fear. Just... This urge to keep moving forward.

 _Crunch, crunch, crunch..._

I wonder, was that always how I was?

I didn't know who I was, but I knew where I was.

I quit my contemplation, coming to a stop before the wide open door on a purple brick building, a blackened and dead tree looming behind me.

My eyes slowly drifted to the golden star at my feet, shifting and glowing with life.

Undertale. I was in Undertale.

And, if I'm looking at what I think I'm looking at, than I think that is in fact how I always was.

I reached out to the star, feeling that deep urge to keep moving grow and grow in my chest as I grew closer and closer to touching it.

 _Ding!_

*You saved the game.

My eyes drifted to the dusty foot prints making their way up the steps to the door before me.

Debatable, text box. Debatable.

* * *

The floor creaked under my feet as I stepped through the empty home, eyes drifting around my surroundings. In my left hand, my pen was gripped tightly.

No goat mom and no squinty child.

There was the distinct smell of butterscotch, though.

*Keep moving.

I looked to my text box, before taking a deep breath, squinting in thought.

In the next moment, a box of stats appeared before me, my eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh shit it worked!" I said with excitement. Said excitement faded, however, when I got a look at my stats.

ATK 2

DEF 1

Weapon: Pen

Armor: Ear buds

"What kinda armor is that?!" I exclaimed, before my eyes widened, darting around as I crouched slightly, waiting for a response for a moment or two, before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Okay..." I muttered, reaching out and clicking on the words 'Ear buds'.

Ear buds:

Some music should keep you DETERMINED, right? + 1 DEF, +1 SPD

"Neat I can jam out while I flee for my life wonderful radical." I rolled my widened eyes, before looking towards the kitchen.

"... Am totally gonna steal the rest'a that pie, though."

* * *

Crimson eyes fluttered open, glittering in the golden light that shun down upon them.

His pale hands slowly clenched into the petals that he lay upon, eyes wincing under that heavenly light.

"... Am I dead..?" The words slipped past his cracked lips, his body laying stilled as he stared upwards, expression unchanged.

*Get up.

He sat up without a second thought, rubbing his head with his right hand and feeling around the ground he laid on with his left.

His finger tips met something cool and hard, and he wrapped his hand around the item. It felt so very familiar, as if his body knew the item. As if it was a part of him.

He lifted it, knowing exactly how much weight it would bring upon his arm as he held it before his eyes, which his snow white hair fell in strands over, his mouth hanging open blankly, shadows obscuring his crimson eyes.

*Mother's crowbar.

The crowbar shaped piece of steel was dirty, the silvery shine blacked out with grime, the end of the crowbar rusted with a dried, crimson liquid.

*Our inheritance.

Letting his arm drop back to his side with his crowbar, the young man got his feet under himself, rising to his full height, hair shadowing his eyes and arms hanging limp at his sides as he sauntered from the room, that crowbar swinging gently back and forth.

* * *

I pressed my back against that wall, feeling cold sweat make its way down my brow and hearing my heart thud in my chest.

 _I'm in Undertale. I'm in fucking Undertale during a goddamn genocide._

My teeth ground together to keep from chattering, watching a gust of wind flow down the hallway with the sound of those doors being pushed open, a cold burst of wind blasting through the ruins.

And only after I heard those doors creak shut did I step - skeptically - into the open, inspecting the hall before me.

Across the door there was a slash of crimson blood, which was slowly turning to a silver ash, much like the ash that coated the floor.

"... Okay, how am I getting out of this one?"

* * *

 ***Forward.**

 **Anthony**

 **LV: 1**

 **SAVED**

His feet dragged up the steps into that home, which he didn't bother so much as turn his head to inspect, immediately walking across the carpet and to the staircase, gripping the railing and making his way down the steps with no urgency. He seemed to be in a trance.

A muffled voice. It was feminine.

He didn't care to tune in. His brain was fuzzy, surrounded by fog.

Who was he..? Things were hazy. He didn't feel right.

Oh, a murder.

Ears picking up the sound up footsteps, that younger child looked over their shoulder, narrowing a crimson eye at their albino intruder.

Familiarity.

"Who are you?" They asked coldly, dust ridden blood dripping from that plastic knife, the drop of red shattering to the concrete floor echoing along the purple walls.

*Killing someone with a child's toy? That's just poor craftsmanship.

"... It starts with an A, I think..." He muttered, reaching up and touching the side of his head. Those crimson eyes were dull, staring at the ground in weak contemplation.

"You don't belong here." Frisk's voice echoed throughout the hall, but each echo was denied from his ears as he stood there, mouth hanging open in blank contemplation.

"Who am I..? Something's missing..."

And as Frisk's footsteps echoed ever closer, his body, his very being, ached.

His pale hand shakily reached for his back pocket, where that crowbar had been placed.

It was calling for him. A light in the fog.

Frisk's jaw clenched in aggravation at the lack of attention he was paying them, crouching and preparing to lunge and make him regret that decision.

And as they dove, eyes almost seeming to glow with a red fury, malicious grin tearing up their face, his dry cracked, pale fingers wrapped around that crowbar.

Blood flew through the air.

The fog lifted.

His crimson eyes were wide, that toy knife buried in his shoulder, blood staining the white sleeve of his T shirt.

Frisk's head was still leaned to the side, eyes wide in pain, blood pouring from their mouth, that crowbar having cracked right upside their head.

"Ooooohhhh my GOD!" Grin splitting his face, he yanked up one foot, planting a kick in Frisk's chest and sending them launching back through the hall, hitting the ground and skidding for a moment. They gripped onto the cold ground, their finger nails splitting and bleeding before they came to a stop. They winced as they looked up to him, blood pouring down their chin.

"That is SOOOO much better." Without hesitation, he reached up, gripping that toy knife and tearing it from his shoulder, his blood spraying across the cool concrete, though he didn't seem to mind. In fact, his eyes rolled back ever so slightly, and his shoulders lowered, as if he enjoyed the feeling.

"Now I remember!" He swayed from side to side somewhat goofily as he walked towards Frisk, who held their bleeding jaw, cold sweat running down their forehead as they pulled themselves back away from him with their free arm.

He pulled that crowbar high above his head, their eyes widening in horror as he loomed over them.

"The name's Anarchy!"

* * *

"Well at least it isn't windy..." I tried my best to look on the bright side, hands stuffed in my zipped up hoodie's pockets as I shrunk into the collar of my coat to protect from the cold, eyes darting from side to side to inspect for any little shit children.

Luckily, I didn't spot any. I did hear some distant blood curtailing screams, however. So I was pretty excited that they weren't around.

Unfortunately, the Underground is mostly a straight path, my cracked memory was telling me. Which means they were ahead of me. And if I wanted to get anywhere, I'd have to get around them.

"Okay, guess I gotta think up a plan for how I'm gonna stop the kid." Yes, I'm aware that talking to myself makes me seem like a nut. But the sound of my voice is the only thing comforting right now.

"I mean, they're like, nine, right?" I glanced to the side in thought, stepping through that rickety wooden gate without much concern. "And I'm... Seventeen, I wanna say?"

 _Why is everything so fuzzy..?_

*You need to wake up.

"You need to be less vague." I made a finger gun at the text box, before it disappeared, and my ears registered voices ahead of me.

 _"C-c'mon... Y-you're not gonna... Murder me in **cold** blood, a-are ya..? E-... Ehehe..." _

_I have been walking too fast._ I came to the simple realization as I ducked into the trees, gently pushing aside branches to get a look at my fellow human.

Snowdrake was flat on his butt before the human. He was already starting to flake to silver, sweat beading down his face as he stared up into the cold, lifeless eyes of his enemy.

Frisk said nothing, twirling their toy knife in hand casually as they tilted their head to the side.

They were certainly taller than a nine year old. Only a few inches shorter than I was. Though they didn't have any particular secondary sex characteristics, I'd have to be an idiot to think they were any younger than sixteen.

"This is not accurate to my headcannon..." I found myself whispering as I watched them bring up that knife, Snowdrake's eyes going wide in horror.

And, I'm not sure what this says about my character or who I am, but that knife came down, and I didn't feel a single urge to intervene.

 ***Your LOVE has increased!**

Frisk just glanced down at their own text box, before turning, walking over to the chest next to a sign near the pathway leaving this area.

They flipped the box open, reaching inside and retrieving a padded fighting glove, which looked like something an MMA fighter would wear.

They frowned as they pulled it over their fist, before turning away from the path, continuing forward.

*Keep going.

"Yeah, yeah..." I muttered, slowly making my way out of the brush after waiting a few more moments to make sure that serial killer had walked out of ear shot and had no intentions of turning back.

As I stepped back into the open, I looked down to the pile of dust that once was Snowdrake, scratching the back of my head.

"Uh... Sorry, dude." I made a facial expression that could only be read as 'Yikes' before I carefully stepped by the dust, walking ahead to the frozen ground just before the river up ahead, where I thought there was supposed to be a snowman..?

*It's a fishing pole. Something about phone calls.

"... Ah, right. Now I remember." My eyes darted to the side. "Snowman's up ahead."

"There's no number attached."

"Yeah," I agreed as I turned towards the voice, feeling a certain amount of ease at hearing another person. If I was lucky, maybe it'd be someone who could help me outta this predicament. "I guess the guy must've forgot-"

My feet stopped, along with my heart, and seemingly the whole world around us.

"..." Frisk blinked those cold, crimson eyes. One by one, their fingers curled inward to form a fist with that Tough Glove. "You aren't supposed to be here."

I couldn't move. Those eyes paralyzed me.

That red.

I'd seen it before.

*Your identity.

 _"Persistent little shit, aren'tcha?"_

Who said that? What was happening? I felt a tide of emotions and memories ripple through my core, and all I could do was stand there, staring into those eyes like that's all there was, my green eyes dilating and twitching as they drowned in the sea of uncertainty in my soul.

"Hm." Their lips curved up slightly in a smile. "What kind of look is that? All the monsters down here, and you're really that terrified of _me_?"

Were they talking? Their lips were moving, I thought. I couldn't hear anything but static.

"... Are you ignoring me..?" They tilted their head to the side, slowly arching a brow. "Are you stupid?"

Was I stupid? What was I? Who was I?

"You aren't making this encounter interesting _at all_." hands balling into fists, they stomped forward towards me. "This is why I hate humans."

The world around us seemed to be rushing by, but I remained still and they pulled back their fist at an avoidably slow pace.

"You're all so predictable!"

Pain.

Frisk's fist crashed into my face, and they planted their feet, putting all of their weight into the punch, their crimson eyes widening and flaring with anger as they completely floored me with that right hook.

My body crashed to the ground, skidding back across the snow, which crimson from my split lip splattered across.

*Back to reality.

My eyes snapped open, darting quickly to Frisk, who was walking ever closer, the snow being mercilessly crunched under their feet with each step.

I winced, gripping my jaw, which ached terribly, blood filling my hand rather quickly, which gave me a pretty bad feeling about all the iron I tasted in my mouth.

"You have something to say yet?" They tilted their head to the side, those crimson eyes narrowing at me with disgust.

Hair shadowing my eyes, I pushed myself up onto one knee, blood splattering down from my jaw onto the pure snow, staining it red.

"Come to think of it..." I felt their hand latch onto my hair, tugging me up to my feet, my knees bent, as they weren't able to pull me to my full height with me being taller than them. "I don't think I've ever gotten to kill a human before."

*Rage.

Without hesitation, I spat a glob of crimson spit onto Frisk's face, and they snarled with anger, pulling their Tough Gloved fist back and ramming it into my abdomen, forcing me to drop to my knees in an instant, the pain forcing a wave of bile from my stomach, making me cough a mix of stomach acid and blood onto their shoes.

 ***Rage.**

Left eye snapping open, I grabbed them by the ankle, panting rapidly as I looked up at them, fury burning in my expression, making their jaw clench and their eyes narrow.

"Get off me!" Frisk yanked back their free leg, and I felt the terrible sting of agony from their foot connecting with my broken jaw, sending me flying through the air onto my back, where I lay momentarily, chest heaving up and down.

Frisk was quick to close the distance this time, planting their foot on my chest to keep me in the dirt.

 ***RAGE.**

I felt my hand wrap around Frisk's ankle, and my head tilted up to shoot Frisk a glare. My chest heaved with snarls and enraged panting, my eyes wide and my pupils shrunk.

"What are you-!" They looked down at me, and their eyes widened, darting to my chest.

"... No, you can't be serious..." They muttered under their breath, their expression softening with confusion and surprise, before they felt my finger nails dig into the flesh of their ankle, and were forced to look back to my frothing expression.

They growled with rage, and they yanked their foot up into the air, freeing it from my grasp.

"Don't you dare come back!"

Their foot came down.

Shatter.

* * *

Flash.

"Damn it damn it damn it!" Frisk pushed at the Ruins doors, struggling against their weight.

But, just as they began to budge, they felt one pale hand wrap around their face, covering their mouth and making their eyes widen.

They were yanked with a shocking amount of force from the door, being thrown all the way down the hall, that sickening laughter filling their ears as they hit the ground, skidding across the pavement.

"You're trying to run? C'mon! Where'd all that confidence go?!" Anarchy laughed as he sprinted down that hallway, Frisk struggling to get to one knee before he closed the distance, dragging that crowbar across the ground before lifting it, slamming it into Frisk's chin and launching them up into the air.

Blood flinging from their chin, Frisk slammed face first into the ceiling, their expression scrunching in pain before they dropped back down towards Anarchy, who had taken up a batter's stance, holding that crowbar like a baseball bat and bouncing excitedly as he waited for them to drop into place.

 **CRACK!**

Frisk was sent flying down the hallway the other way this time, landing flat on their face in front of the Ruins door.

Panting as blood poured from multiple lacerations on their face, Frisk slowly reached out towards the door, their vision fading in and out.

"So, little mister and or miss immortal," Anarchy's footsteps echoed through the hall, bouncing from the walls, the sound surrounding Frisk as they weakly dragged themselves forward towards the door with bloody hands.

Those footsteps got closer, and just as they reached out to touch the cool door to freedom, that ivory hand grabbed a fistful of their hair, fear appearing on their expression before they were yanked back up into the air.

Frisk winced as they grabbed that hand, eyes filling with tears as they slowly looked to Anarchy, who's hair cast shadow over his face, covering all but that psychotic, sharp toothed grin.

 ** _"How many times am I gonna get to play with you before you stay dead?"_**

"H-HEEEEELLLLPPPPP!" Frisk managed to scream, tears pouring down their cheeks as they kicked and flailed in Anarchy's grasp, wide eyes staring into the abyss.

*But nobody came.

* * *

 _Keys clicked._

 _The computer monitor lit the room in an eerie white light. The room consisted of a twin sized bed, the computer and the desk it was sat on, which also had several other monitors on it, a tile floor, and an open doorway directly across the room from the computer._

 _Footsteps echoed down the hallway, and he looked over his shoulder, cocking a brow into the darkness._

 _As she stepped into view, he smiled lightly, spinning around in his chair, momentarily not taking note of the fact that her head was down, her long black hair falling over her face._

 _"Wassup Pred-" His eyes widened as he heard her sniffle sharply, concern overtaking his expression as he stood from his computer chair, stepping closer towards her._

 _"Whoa, Lexi, what's wrong?" He skeptically put a hand on her shoulder, tilting his head to the side._

 _"... Angel..." She spoke quietly, not looking up and not seeming to have the strength to. "Am I a bad person..?"_

 _"What..?" He tilted his head to the side in confusion, which slowly overtook his expression. "Where's this comin' from, Lex..?"_

 _She didn't speak, she just slowly stepped forward, reaching out and wrapping her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder for comfort._

 _"Uh..." He glanced from side to side, looking to be contemplating, before slowly returning the hug, smoothing her long hair with his hand to comfort her._

 _He took a deep breath, looking down to the ground slowly, thoughts running through his mind._

* * *

"Lexi!"

I shot up, chest heaving up and down with my panting as I found myself sitting back next to that killer shaped lamp, just thirty feet from where I'd been murdered.

"..." I closed my eyes, regaining my thoughts before slowly reaching up, running a hand through my hair, groaning.

"Ah, fuck, I remember who I am..." I groaned, falling onto my back and slowly running my hands down my face.

"And I'm in fuckin' Undertale..." I continued to groan, rolling back and forth. "And I'm immortal now, apparently..."

*Keep moving.

"And my text box likes little boys!" I put a forearm over my face dramatically, pointing to the flavor text that had appeared.

*Not funny.

"I'm unappreciated in my time." I sighed, sitting up before pushing back to my feet.

*Get. A move on.

"Blow me dude I'm not bumping into the hash slinging slasher again!" I threw my hands into the air, beginning to pace back and forth, snow crunching under my sneakers.

*Fight them.

"Look I don't know who you are or how much you know about me, but I'm more of an intricate plan kinda guy, not a kill someone with a pen kinda guy." As I paced, I pulled my pen from my pocket, looking to it, trying to find anything hidden on it that would make it function as an actual weapon and not a writing utensil.

*I'm you.

"That'd explain why you're such an asshole." My eyes darted to the side.

*If you're not going to fight, what's your plan?

"..." I looked down the path, stuffing my hands, and my pen, into my pockets.

"... I think I have an idea."

* * *

Frisk just blinked, watching the skeleton brothers spin around in front of them, before eventually stopping, their backs to them.

"Sans! Oh my god!" Papyrus looked to his brother with wide, excited eyes, before suddenly looking to the side. "... I'm dizzy. What am I looking at?"

"Behold." Sans answered, the two spinning around to face Frisk.

"... A human." Sans kept that trademark grin, eyes darting to the side.

 _Wait what?_ Frisk looked over their shoulder, and their jaw clenched angrily, eyes narrowing.

"Howdy!" I gave a two fingered wave, grinning in a way that seemed friendly to the skeletons but was easily read by Frisk as a very knowing, very smug, facial expression.

"What?!" Papyrus said with shock, looking right at me with his skeleton eye holes, before his head quickly snapped back to look at Sans. "But then what's that thing in front of it?!"

"Dunno." Sans shrugged, white dots in his eye sockets darting to look up to Papyrus. "Not a rock?"

"Not a rock?!" Papyrus repeated in shock, before slamming his fist down in his palm. "Then, by process of elimination, it must be a human!"

"Foolproof." Sans winked an eye shut, looking back ahead to Frisk and I.

"Humans!" Papyrus spoke as I walked further up, standing next to Frisk, hands in my pockets.

"Prepare yourself for high jinx! For low jinx!"

"Ooh this is so exciting!" I whispered to Frisk while Papyrus spoke, and they shot me an absolutely venomous glare.

"Go to hell." They whispered back, making me grin a little wider.

"... Refreshments will be provided! IF YOU DARE!" And with that, Papyrus turned around, running away excitedly.

"NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!"

Frisk shot me a glance, opening their mouth to speak, before their eyes darted back to Sans, who still stood there, watching us with that grin.

 ***He's supposed to walk after Papyrus.**

Their mouth closed, and they narrowed their eyes at me before they stepped forward, walking past me and ahead.

They didn't bother to stop and speak with Sans, continuing after Papyrus.

I however walked right up to the short skeleton, a certain urgency in my step. Sans was busy watching Frisk continue on out of the corner of his eye, but once I got within speaking distance of him, those white dots in his eye sockets darted to me.

 _Is Sans gonna know about the RESETs? Is that canon or fanon?_ I found myself wondering as I stopped in front of him, heart racing almost as fast as my brain. My mouth lagged far behind, however, and I stumbled to get the words out.

"Heya." Sans spoke first, not hesitating to stick out his hand, looking up to me. "I don't think we've been met. I'm Sans, Sans the Skeleton."

Looking to his hand, I began to reach out to it, eyes narrowing in thought.

 _... Ah, fuck it._

I grabbed past his fingers, getting a grip on the whoopee cushion attached to his skeletal palm and yanking it free, Sans raising his nonexistent eyebrows in surprise.

"Huh. Not a fan of fart sounds?" He arched a brow at me. "You're pretty perceptive kid."

"Not really, I've just got a good memory." I said, offering Sans back his whoopee cushion.

"But uh, and correct me if I'm wrong," Sans reached out, taking his whoopee cushion back and casually squishing it, letting out a little 'heh' at the fart noise before slipping it into his hoodie pocket. "This is the first time you n' me have met, isn't it?"

"Alright Sans I'm gonna be real with you because thinking about it there's no real consequences to being wrong here since I can time travel,"

"... What."

"That other human is Frisk, they kill people, they RESET, they're trouble." I pointed ahead as I spoke. "The other skeleton is your brother Papyrus. Frisk fights him outside of Snowdin, right before Waterfall, where Undyne lives. After that is Hotland, where Alphys is, and then the CORE, and then New Home with the King of All Monsters, Asgore Dreemurr."

"..." Sans remained silently, look quite honestly baffled. He slowly tilted his head to the side, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"And none of this I _should_ know considering I just dropped down a huge hole and stumbled through already dusty ruins to get to here where I bumped into _them_ ," I once again pointed in the direction Frisk went. "And they killed me, but I respawned a few minutes before the event afterwards."

Sans expression shifted, and if his mouth opened I was certain it would be moving to try to form words.

"I guess what I'm trying to ask is are you aware of any of this time travel multi timeline genocidal human ghost text box DETERMINATION shit or am I gonna have to figure this crap out on my own?" I held my hands out in front of me, pursing my lips and narrowing my eyes, desperately awaiting a good answer.

"..." Sans widened his sockets, the white dots inside them looking to the side for a moment. "Jesus, kid, you really know how to drop a bomb shell. Didn't even introduce yourself before giving me all that exposition."

Sans was grinning regardless, those eyes darting back to me.

"We'll talk later, alright?" He winked an eyes shut at me, and though it wasn't the exact response I was looking for, it did hand me some semblance of hope. "'Til then, I'll keep a socket out for ya."

With that, Sans walked right by me, back in the direction I came from.

"I'll be up ahead." He waved over his shoulder at me, not bothering to look back at me.

"..." I took a deep breath, nodding once and turning to look ahead.

I nodded quickly, shaking out my hands and trying to hype myself up before continuing on.

* * *

"You know what's funny?"

"AAGH!"

"I don't even know where the fuck I am! I don't know who you are, I don't know what this place is!"

A loud crack resounded, followed by another scream.

"And, I get the feeling we're gonna be here for awhile, so,"

 ** _SNAP._**

"AAAAHHHH!"

"Lets get to know each other a lil' better, sound good?"

The only response Anarchy got was Frisk's quiet sobs.

"So, Anarchy obviously isn't my real name." Anarchy sat crouched in front of Frisk, who was leaned against a wall, panting heavily.

Their legs were sprawled out in front of them. One was bent in the wrong direction. Their arm, of which they appeared to only have one, was grasping their side, which was split and bleeding.

"More of a uh, code name given to me awhile back. Suits my..." Anarchy looked to be thinking, moving his hand in a circular motion. "Rated M for Mature tendencies, I guess?"

He shrugged, looking to Frisk with a plain expression. "What's your name?"

Frisk managed to open their bleeding mouth, though it stung and burned to do so.

"... Frisk..." They managed to spit out, barely lifting their head to look at Anarchy. Their blood stained hair fell over their face, and a stream of blood made it's way from their hairline down over their eye and down their cheek.

"Huh. That's a pretty unique name." Anarchy stood back to his full height, looming over Frisk. His crowbar slid from his left sleeve into his hand, and he lifted it over his head.

"You ever play sports, Frisk?"

"... S-... Soccer..."

 **SMASH!**

"AAHHHHH!"

"Was always more of a baseball fan myself, but I see why you'd like it. You like burnt popcorn?"

"Y-... Yeah..."

 **SMACK!**

The sound of blood splattering across the floor.

"Eee, I don't. Always just tasted like horrible burnt nasty to me. Can you explain the appeal?"

* * *

Trailing Frisk through Snowdin Forest had its ups and downs. On the upside, Frisk figured out all the X O puzzles so I didn't have to. On the downside, I had to play along with each of Papyrus's puzzles that Frisk got to ignore.

Being a human that played along, however, was working in my favor. Papyrus was clearly ecstatic to have someone to show his puzzles, and Sans seemed more trusting of my motives the nicer I was to his brother.

There was one problem, though...

I stepped from the empty shop in Snowdin, pulling my technically stolen Tough Glove over my left hand. I mean, if I hadn't raided the shop, Frisk would have, so it was justified. Probably.

My eyes drifted to Frisk, who was walking without any particular haste towards the edge of Snowdin.

My hands clenched into fists.

I had to get ahead of them.

* * *

"Hey! Quit moving while I'm talking to you!"

Frisk stopped walking forward, hair being blown in their face by the white out of snow around them.

"I, the Great Papyrus, have some things to say!"

Papyrus stood before them, orange scarf whipping in the wind. He stood tall, fearless before the murderer.

"First: You're a freaking weirdo!"

Frisk smiled.

"Not only do you not like puzzles. But the way you shamble about from place to place... The way your hands are always covered in dusty powder."

Papyrus's eyes narrowed with concern.

"It feels... Like your life is going down a dangerous path."

Frisk's fingers fell one by one into a fist.

"However! I, Papyrus, see great potential within you!"

 ***We've heard this all before.**

"Everyone can be a great person if they try! And me, I hardly have to try at all! Nyeheheheh!"

Frisk continued forward, snow crunching under their feet.

"Hey! Quit moving! This is exactly what I am talking about!"

Frisk frowned.

"Human! I think you are in need of guidance! Someone needs to keep you on the straight and narrow!"

 ***I'm the only guide you'll need.**

"But worry not! I, Papyrus... Will gladly be your friend and tutor!"

 ***Lets get this over with.**

"I will turn your life right around!"

Frisk continued walking forward again, snow crunching under their feet again as they pushed through the blizzard towards Papyrus.

"I see you are approaching. Are you offering a hug of acceptance?"

 ***Idiot.**

"Wowie! My lessons are already working!"

A smile carved its way up Frisk's face.

"I, Papyrus, welcome you with open arms!"

 ***Papyrus is sparing you.**

Papyrus tilted his head to the side, arms out to his sides for a hug, eyes closed and smiling wide.

 ***Forgettable.**

Frisk bent at the knees, cocking back that fist. Their jaw clenched, their ears filled with the screaming winds.

Just more EXP. Nothing more and nothing less.

 ***Fight.**

 ***Papyrus.**

Frisk lunged forward, eyes widening in that ceaseless rage that burnt inside of them, all of their hate charging in their punch as that paragon before them _dared_ to mock them like this.

Everything moved in slow motion as Papyrus's sockets opened, his smile falling as his eyes began to widen.

And now he would pay for i-!

THUD.

Everything seemed to love in slow motion as Frisk felt that elbow drive into their cheek, their eyes, flaring with rage, slowly moving to look at their attacker.

They tumbled to the ground, rolling to a stop and climbing to their hands and knees, snarling up at me.

Papyrus fell back onto his skeletal butt, looking between Frisk and I with wide sockets.

I clenched my hands into fists, which I put up. My heart raced, and on my chest, a burning red SOUL appeared, glowing plain through my shirt.

"Other human!" Papyrus cried out in surprise, looking between Frisk and I. "You... Saved me..?"

I didn't dare take my attention from the killer before me, who was climbing to their feet.

 _"Why would I need to know how to fight, Preds? I never leave HQ."_

"... You think you can back that attack up, tough guy?" Frisk's eyes narrowed at me as they reached up, wiping the small stream of blood running down from their split lip.

 _"What if you bump into someone strong who happens to want to beat your ass?"_

"Gonna have to." I answered plainly, knuckles white as I anxiously bounced from side to side.

 _"Look, Lexi, I'ma be real with you."_

Frisk cracked their knuckles, smirking lightly as they reached back, pulling that Toy Knife from their back pocket and spinning it once, holding it in their hand that was missing a Tough Glove.

 _"If we're ever in a position where **I** have to fight," _

I reached into my pocket, pulling my pen free before pushing a button on the cord of my earbuds, my music starting. Cold sweat formed on my brow.

 ** _"We've already lost."_**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	2. Chapter 2: Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust

**I would like to clear up that yes, Anarchy and the main charaCter (Eh? Eh? *Wink wink nudge nudge.*) are in two separate timelines. Any character you see one of them interacting with is not the same one the other was interacting with, unless it is described otherwise. I hope that clears up any confusion! 3**

 **Thanks go to Glitch169, Wingah, Ethan, Reaper4425, Chara Moonstone, BadDRUMMERboy15, cassianaswindell123, TacoTurd777, Ssnipex, Alrarora, dbpeel, Konigstiger726, XLord of NightmaresX, and Loyal Fan.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"Are people afraid of you?"

"... Yes..."

"Have they always been afraid of you?"

"No..."

"Mm. They've always been afraid of me."

"Wonder why..."

"Ha!" Anarchy chuckled, looking down at Frisk, who he was dragging towards the door to Snowdin by the back of their shirt.

"Ah c'mon, nobody's born an Anarchy." Anarchy explained, before grunting, pushing his shoulder against the heavy door. After a moment, it budged, being pushed apart slowly.

"Were you always mean?" Anarchy asked, placing one hand in his pocket as he dragged Frisk forward. Their legs and fingers dragged along on the ground, their body entirely limp in Anarchy's grasp.

"..." Frisk's eyes narrowed painfully, head hanging forward limp, hair dangling around their face. "... No..."

"Were you ever nice?" Anarchy continued to probe for answers, not frowning and not grinning as he casually dragged the half dead human along with him.

"Yes... For a long time..." Frisk's hands attempted to clench into fists, but they were far too weak.

"Why'd you stop?" Anarchy glanced down at Frisk as he walked.

"It got boring..." Saying it out loud, Frisk felt a certain shame in their past decisions.

"..." Anarchy raised his eyebrows at that, looking ahead and blinking.

"Wow, Frisk." He scoffed, shaking his head. "You're a monster. And that's coming from a serial killer who uses a crowbar to murder his victims."

"And what's your excuse mister high horse..?"

Anarchy took a moment to think, eyes drifting up to the snowy ceiling of Underground above as he tilted his head back.

 _The child's bright red eyes trembled as he looked up to the woman looming over him. Tears and blood alike ran in streams down his face, and his pupils shrunk with fear as she rose that crowbar over her head, casting a shadow down over him from the only source of light in the cold basement, which was the open doorway just behind the woman._

"Meh." He shrugged his shoulders, strands of snow white hair falling over his forehead. "Just how momma raised me, I guess."

Frisk was slightly surprised as Anarchy let go of their shirt and let them drop face first into the snow.

Slowly, they managed to lift their head, seeing that they were laying next to the edge of one of Snowdin's many cliffs.

In front of them, Anarchy sat with his legs dangling over the cliff side, looking out at the snowy fields below.

"... Did you have a mother, Frisk?" Anarchy looked back at Frisk, who stared weakly into his red eyes.

"... Yes." Frisk admitted after a moment of thought.

"What was she like?" Anarchy asked, leaning back on his hands and looking forward again.

"..." Frisk looked out at the vastness of unexplored Underground as well, taking a moment to think about their mother's qualities.

"She was... Very kind, and very dedicated to my future." Frisk flipped over onto their back, staring up at the ceiling of the Underground. The slow falling snow felt refreshing on their bruised face. "She was stern at times and sweet at others."

"She... Was very fond of baking." Frisk's cracked lips slowly curved upwards into a smile at their memories. "And, for some reason, snails."

"Did she know what you were?" Anarchy glanced over at Frisk.

"Not until I killed her..." Frisk winced, their smile fading.

"..." Anarchy looked back ahead, smiling lightly. "She sounds like she was a very kind woman. You're a real moron for screwing that up."

Frisk didn't seem to have a response for that.

"... Your soul has gotten pretty dim." Anarchy's light frown returned, and he tilted his back head to look up into the air. "You won't be coming back once I kill you again, will you?"

"..." Frisk's eyes narrowed at the dim red soul on their chest. It had darkened significantly in shade.

"... No."

"..." Anarchy slowly pushed himself up to his feet, staring up and placing his hands in his pockets.

*Check

*Anthony ATK ? DEF ?

LOVE: 1

"... Frisk. You liked soccer and burnt popcorn. Your favorite color was red. You used to be nice, but were very easy to bore." Anarchy paused then, hesitating. "... You had a good mom. It's... Really too bad. We could have been pretty good friends, I think."

"... But, unfortunately for you..." That crowbar slid from his sleeve and into his hand, and he looked over his shoulder at Frisk.

His face was split with that grin, and those beautiful red eyes were wide and bloodshot.

*Check

*Anarchy ATK ? DEF ?

LOVE: 20

 ** _"Monsters like us don't deserve to have friends."_**

 **Chapter 2: Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust**

 _"What kinda monster are you?"_

* * *

I grunted as I threw my fist forward, jaw clenching. And, though I put all my weight behind it and moved my arm as fast as I could, my eyes widened as I watched Frisk side step my punch with ease, quickly reaching up and grabbing me by the arm.

In an instant, they had shifted my weight, flipping me over their head and slamming me flat on my back, making my eyes snap open wide and my mouth open to release the wind that was forcefully knocked from my lungs.

 _Ah, shit, they weren't this fast before..!_ My eyes darted up at them as I gasped for air, watching them raise that Toy Knife over their head. _Is it the LV they've gained..?!_

"Do yourself a favor and don't come back again!" Frisk snarled with rage, a murderous red flaring in their eyes as they prepared to stab down.

In an instant, the earth shifted, and Frisk jumped to the side, flipping in air and landing on both feet and one hand, skidding across the snow for a moment.

I coughed, climbing to my hands and knees. I lifted my head, eyes drifting to the large, blunt bone that had launched from the earth at Frisk, interrupting their attack.

"My offer is still on the table, human!" Papyrus stepped forward as I caught my breath, climbing to my feet. He stood between me and Frisk, grabbing that bone and pulling it from the earth, holding it like some kind of staff.

"Shut up." Frisk responded simply as they stood back to their full height, spinning that knife in their hand.

"Nice human!" Papyrus looked over his shoulder at me, smiling in a reassuring way. "Thank you for saving me! But, I'm afraid I have to ask you for another favor!"

"You need my help to triple combo this bozo?" I stepped up next to Papyrus, holding up my fists and looking to the tall skeleton out of the corner of my eye.

"Yes!" Papyrus looked ahead, nodding. "Triple combo into niceness!"

"..." My expression hardened as my eyes drifted over to Frisk, and I swallowed my anxiety. "I'm in."

Frisk's lips slowly curved up into a small smile.

*It's a pathetic power team.

* * *

"..." Anarchy stared over the cliff side. One hand hung freely, keeping a loose grip on the crowbar, which gently dripped blood onto the pure white snow, staining it forever.

The other held Frisk by the collar of their shirt, lifting them up, their feet dangling over the edge as they gripped onto Anarchy's forearm, hanging on desperately.

"P-please..." They choked, jaw clenched as they strained to hold onto Anarchy's arm.

"I-I... Don't want to disappear..."

Anarchy frowned, watching a single stream of tears make it's way down Frisk's cheek, desperation in their bright red eyes.

"Frisk... You had everything." Anarchy tilted his head to the side, that sad frown still clear on his face. "A loving family, supportive friends, and all the power to keep them safe."

"... And... You threw it away. For... Funsies."

Frisk gasped for breath, legs kicking weakly as more tears struggled from their eyes.

"I'm very far from a hero, but to let an ungrateful beast like you continue to exist..." Anarchy looked down, shaking his head slowly before looking back to Frisk. "Not even _I'm_ that bad."

With that, Anarchy let go of Frisk's collar, Frisk letting out a sharp gasp as they dropped slightly, holding themself up on Anarchy's arm, struggling to keep themself from plummeting.

"P-please..!" Tears over flowing down their face, they searched rapidly through their memories, trying to find anything that they'd learned in their many deaths that might convince Anarchy. "I-I can do better!"

"Let go, Frisk."

Frisk grunted, their fingers beginning to slip, desperate eyes darting from their hands to Anarchy.

"P-please..! Anthony! S-save me!"

Anarchy's eyes widened then. That name echoed like a bell had been struck in his head.

And, with hair shadowing his eyes, Anarchy grabbed Frisk by the collar, just as their hands slipped and let go of his arm.

"A-... Anthony..?" A small light of hope glimmered in Frisk's eye as they looked up at Anarchy.

"..." Anarchy slowly pulled Frisk closer, their face inches from his.

His lips slowly curved up into that ear to ear grin, that light of hope dying from Frisk's eyes as a crimson glow appeared in Anarchy's eye.

 _ **"Anthony's not here."**_

In the next instant, Anarchy had thrust his arm forward, throwing Frisk over the cliff side without hesitation.

And he watched with his right eye shadowed and his left glowing a deep red from under the shadow of his hair as everything seemed to slow down, Frisk's eyes going wide, their arms flailing to grab something, but finding nothing but air as they plummeted.

His grin slowly died down to a stern frown as he put his now free hand into his pocket, his other still hanging limp with that crowbar in it's grasp.

 _Ping!_

Anarchy, with little care, looked down to the once red and now blue soul on his chest.

"You... You killed the kid."

Smiling warmly, Anarchy looked over his shoulder, staring into the pupiless eyes of the short skeleton that stood a ways behind him, one hand extended out towards him.

"What the hell are you?"

* * *

Frisk jumped back to evade the bones that shot from the ground at them, landing on their feet and skidding back before lifting their right hand, jaw clenching as they caught my punch in their open palm, eyes darting to glare at me.

Suddenly, transparent, light blue bones launched from the earth around Frisk, forming a circle around them.

Both of our eyes widened, darting to the bones, before darting back up to look into each other's eyes.

"Don't you da-"

I quickly reached out, grabbing them by the arm and yanking them forward, moving them through the bones, which instantly became solid, crashing into their body and making them cry out in pain as I pulled them through, the bones snapping from the force I dragged them with.

They snarled at me as I dragged them, spinning around and grunting as I threw them back into the patch of blue bones, and they cried out again as they slammed back first through the blunt bones, tumbling all the way through and falling onto the ground on the other side.

"You're gonna pay for that." Frisk growled, pushing themself up onto one knee before several bones shot from the earth around them, forming a triangular prison around them.

"Human captured!" Papyrus exclaimed excitedly, heroically posing with his fist raised in front of him.

"Nice job Papyrus!" I smirked over my shoulder to Papyrus, who grinned a little wider in response, closing his sockets happily.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" I laughed mockingly, pointing at Frisk as I did a little victory dance, which really just consisted of me bouncing to the left and right.

Frisk just frowned as they stood, looking at me with those cold eyes for a moment before beginning to knock on the bones with the back of their fist, looking over them curiously.

"Thank you so much for your help, nice human!" Papyrus spoke as he began walking closer, and I stopped my mocking dance, looking over my shoulder to him. All the while Frisk nodded to themself, tightening their Tough Glove and shaking out their fist before pulling it back.

"It was no problem!" I smiled in a reassuring way, holding out a thumbs up to Papyrus, completely unaware as Frisk threw their fist forward, slamming it into the bone in front of them and knocking it from the earth, sending it flinging forward through the air.

I quickly looked ahead at the sound of the snap, managing to catch the flinging bone with my face, making me yelp in pain as I stumbled back, eyes instinctively closing from the sudden pain to my nose.

The moment I managed to open my eyes, I spotted Frisk darting forward, a red gleam in their eye as they pulled back their fist, slamming it forward into my jaw and making me stumble back further before they pulled back their other fist, sending a bare punch into my gut and making me hunch over, the wind being knocked from me once more before they jumped up, spinning in air and slamming their shin into the side of my head, sending me flinging through the air before I hit the snow, tumbling through it before stopping, laying flat on my face, which ached with agony.

"... Jesus Christ what a combo..." I managed to mutter before spitting a mouthful of blood onto the snow, head throbbing with pain as I weakly lifted it to look up at Frisk, who cracked their knuckles as they loomed over me. The only thing I could see in the shadows covering their eyes was that red glow.

"Hard to laugh with broken teeth, huh?" Frisk smirked, before suddenly back flipping back, bones shooting from the ground to my side and launching at them in vain.

"Nice human!" Papyrus knelt at my side, placing a hand on my back as I looked up at him weakly.

My eyes glossed over to my health bar, reading it at a solid 1/20.

Wonderful.

"Try not to move, okay?" Papyrus smiled somewhat sadly at me, and I could only nod weakly in response.

With that, Papyrus smirked, standing back to his full height and pointing heroically at Frisk.

"Papyrus, future member of the royal guard will handle this!"

* * *

"Oh, wow. A talking skeleton." Anarchy turned around, beginning to walk towards Sans, who had nervous sweat running down the back of his skull. "This world is pretty strange."

"Stay back!" Sans demanded immediately, a circle of chest high bones launching from the earth to form a circle around Anarchy, who frowned, arching a brow at the bones.

"A skeleton with magic bone powers... That's adorable." He smiled that sweet, gentle smile once more as he lifted his crowbar, easily smashing the bones in front of him to pieces and stepping over the remaining stumps in the ground, continuing his leisurely walk towards the short skeleton before him.

Sans growled with displeasure, pushing one hand forward and sending Anarchy lifting into the air by his recently blue-d soul.

"... And telekinesis." Anarchy glanced down to his soul, before grinning over to Sans. "You're fun."

"Yeah I happen to be pretty popular with the homicidal humans." Sans narrowed his sockets, that permanent grin adding to the intensity of his expression. "Now wh-"

Anarchy carelessly lifted up his crowbar, expression curious as he threw it down at Sans, who was quick to step to the side, watching the crowbar embed itself in the snow.

"... Mm." Anarchy frowned lightly at the results of his throw, Sans shooting him a glare.

"Well, to answer your question little skeleman," Anarchy crossed his arms, floating quite casually in the air. "I'm a human. I fell down a hole, landed here, bumped into another human who tried to kill me, so I killed them first."

"..." And then they came back." Anarchy's eyes went wide, his lips slowly beginning to curve upwards. "So I killed them over. And over. And over again."

The pupils disappeared from Sans' sockets as he stared up at Anarchy. He felt a deep sense of unease under those crimson eyes.

"They did a bunch of stuff to try to escape. Brought everything back to the beginning and tried to spare me, but that didn't work. Tried to fight me with the goat woman, but that didn't work. Tried to escape before I could catch them, but that didn't work." As Anarchy explained, his grin just grew wider and wider.

"And now they've stopped coming back. They sure did cling to life pathetically tight, didn't they?"

* * *

*Seems he's ready for you now.

Papyrus stomped his foot down, causing a line of bones to launch out from where his foot met the ground at Frisk.

Frisk jumped to the side, running low to the ground towards Papyrus and pulling back that Toy Knife as Papyrus gripped one of the bones he had summoned in that line towards Frisk, yanking it from the ground and spinning it like some kind of staff.

Frisk dove into the air, slashing down at Papyrus, who held up the bone, watching Frisk cut down onto his staff, a red slash appearing in the air before the bone was sliced in two.

Papyrus jumped back as Frisk landed on their feet, crouching for a moment before launching forward at Papyrus once more.

Papyrus tossed his two bones pieces over his shoulders before lifting one hand, a dark blue bone appearing in hand. Papyrus quickly tossed up the bone, catching it and jumping back once more, throwing it surprisingly fast at Frisk.

Frisk's eyes widened as the bone phased through their chest. In the next instant, they felt heavier, stumbling slightly as their soul shifted to blue.

 _This human is incredibly dangerous..._ Papyrus's eyes narrowed as he waved his arm in a line in front of him, a wall of bones jutting from the earth before beginning to race forward at Frisk. _If I'm going to capture them and turn their life around, I'm going to have to work hard! Even harder than I already do! Nyeh heh heh!_

Smiling at his own internal monologue, Papyrus watched as Frisk grunted, jumping the wall of bones just barely before landing with a roll, bursting off the ground at Papyrus, digging one hand into the dirt to push themself from the ground as they did so.

Papyrus lifted one arm, the earth trembling before several giant bones launched themselves from the ground, Frisk darting between them before the tall skeleton knelt down, placing one hand on the ground. In the next moment, a large bone burst from the earth below him and lifting him high into the air.

Frisk stopped before the bone, glaring up at Papyrus, who pulled both arms back, long bones appearing in each before he whipped the bones downward at Frisk, two more bones appearing to take their place.

Frisk jumped, landing on the bones and kicking off from them, jumping higher and higher off of each bone as they got closer and closer to Papyrus.

Papyrus smirked heroically, holding his arm out to the side as a long, staff like bone appeared in his hand, before he jumped from the top of his bone platform, falling down towards Frisk and holding that bone high above his head.

"Nyeeeehhh!"

* * *

I watched weakly from my place on the ground as Papyrus and Frisk collided in air, Papyrus slamming that bone into Frisk's arms, which they'd thrown up to block the attack, throwing them back down towards the earth, where they flipped in air, landing on one hand and springing back off of it, landing and skidding back on their feet as Papyrus landed before them, spinning that bone and pointing it to them.

 _Never imagined the Papyrus fight like this..._ I found myself thinking as I fumbled through my inventory with one hand, eventually pulling free a cinnamon bunny.

Ignoring the aching pain in my mouth, I opened my bloody jaws around that piece of magical sugar, biting down onto it with aching teeth and chewing the soft substance.

The iron-y taste of blood was somewhat replaced with a sweet cinnamony one, and as I ate the treat, I could feel energy returning to my body, my diaphragm and face aching less and less. Within a few moments, I'd finished the bunny, and felt in perfect health again. My HP bar confirmed it with a 20/20.

"Okay..." I climbed to my feet, knocking snow from my jacket and shaking my head.

*Now's your chance.

I looked up, watching as Frisk jumped a swing from Papyrus's bone staff, punching at his head, only for him to duck under the punch, launching up and slamming his shoulder into Frisk's abdomen, sending them flinging back through the air, where they flipped, landing on their feet and skidding back, before rushing at Papyrus again.

"But... If I go now, Papyrus will..." My eyes narrowed in thought, darting between the colliding human and skeleton and the open path into Waterfall.

*Who cares? It's not like you can save him. Get going.

"That's cold text box." My eyes narrowed at the flavor text.

*You've done worse.

That stung.

*They're going to kill Papyrus whether you like it or not. The only thing you have the power to change is whether or not you get killed too.

"..." My jaw clenched, eyes once again darting between the open path and the fighters.

"... Fuck it!" I burst off the ground in an instant, sprinting at full speed down the path towards Waterfall.

I just had to get ahead. I had to keep moving. It didn't matter what happened to anyone else, so long as I-!

"And where do you think you're going?!"

Everything seemed to slow down as my eyes darted to the side, watching Frisk race towards me, faster than I could avoid.

They dove into the air, bringing that Toy Knife high into the air and slashing down towards me.

"You won't escape me that easily!"

* * *

"Your Level Of Violence..." Sans' left eye narrowed, his right closed. Below Anarchy, he could see a flickering STATS screen.

His name shifted and switched, flickering between letters and symbols, rarely spelling anything out coherently. His LOVE also shifted, flickering between symbols and either a 1 or a 20. His HP, ATK and DEF also shifted in a similar manor.

"No, all of your stats..." The white dots in his sockets darted up to Anarchy, who smiled, waving down at him.

"Somethin' inside you... It ain't right." Sans' pupils disappeared from his eyes, his teeth clenching tightly together in that grin.

"Wow, you really are in a know, huh lil' guy?" Anarchy barred those fangs in his grin, watching as that hand Sans held out to restrain him by the soul shook, struggling to remain up.

"And it's starting to look like you're having some trouble keeping me restrained... I'm guessin' you can't hold me in place forever, huh?" Those crimson eyes narrowed with that less than friendly smile as Anarchy's soul began to shift slowly in color, turning back to that deep red.

Sans growled, throwing his hand to the side and sending the albino human flinging through the air, crashing and skidding through the snow.

 _Keeping that level of DETERMINATION restrained is hard, even for me..._ Sans' sockets narrowed as he watched Anarchy Dracula style sit up from the snow, maintaining a serious exprssion before giggling to himself at the silliness of his action.

Sans found himself stepping back as Anarchy climbed to his feet. Something about this human made his skin - or, bones? - crawl.

Anarchy shook the snow from himself much like a dog would, before throwing his head back to clear the white hair from his face, reaching up and running a hand through his porcelain locks.

As Sans took another step back, his foot tapped the cool steel of the crowbar Anarchy had carelessly thrown at him earlier.

The very touch of that cruel metal made Sans' entire body stop. His eye holes widened, the light in them disappearing as for but a moment, his entire body felt as cold and dirty as that crowbar.

"Gah!" Sans called out, kicking the crowbar aside, body trembling. His head snapped to look back at the bloody chunk of metal before darting back to look at Anarchy, who wore that chilling smile just like usual.

 ** _"Love, hope, compassion..."_**

 _Why do I feel so sick all of a sudden?_ Sweat beading down his bones, Sans found the words of an old book he'd read resurfacing in his mind.

 ** _"This is what people say monster SOULs are made of."_**

 _It's... It's like I can feel his intentions..._ Sans watched with trembling pupils as Anarchy began to saunter towards him, gradually closing the twenty foot distance between them. His arms hung limp at his sides, swaying to and fro with each step. _Like just bein' around a soul like his hurts mine..._

 ** _"But the absolute nature of "SOUL" is unknown."_**

"You... Who are you?" Sans took a bold step forward, his left eye igniting in a blue flame. "Where'd you even come from?!"

"Where did I come from?" Anarchy repeated, tilting his head to the side and stopping his walking forward, straightening his back and letting his shoulders lean back. "Hmm... Let me think..."

 _ **"After all,"**_

Anarchy scanned through his memories then, and as he tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling of the Underground, a smile found itself upon his lips. A gentle, adoring smile.

"Hacky..."

 ** _"Humans have proven their souls don't need these things to exist."_**

And that smile twisted further up, reaching from ear to ear. Those crimson eyes snapped open, and his body trembled with the desire to kill. To smash, to rip, to tear, to destroy. The unstoppable urges that earned him his title. 'Anarchist'.

 **"... My sweet... Little... _ANGEL_..!" **

* * *

SLASH.

Just as that plastic blade fell, I felt Papyrus lunge forward, scooping me up in his skeletal arms and tackling me out of the way, jumping back away from our attacker urgently.

"Whoa!" I cried out in surprise, wrapping my arms around the skeleton's body to hold on as we launched through the air, quickly landing.

"Heh... That was a pretty close one." I let out a sigh of relief, glancing over to Papyrus, who still held onto me, the both of us kneeling on the ground after landing.

"Nice save, Pa-" As I spoke, I lifted my hand from Papyrus's back. And one look at the silvery dust in my hand made my pupils shrink and my eyes widen, my smile fading to a mouth agape in horror. It _did_ seem weird that there was a large slash on the back of his battle body.

"... Pa... Pyrus..?"

I wrapped my arms tighter around Papyrus as I felt him slump over, his arms dropping to the ground and unwrapping from the protective hug they had formed around me.

"No, w-wait..." I managed to blink my wide eyes, my shrunken pupils darting to Papyrus's hands, then to his shoulder, then to his back, watching them all start to fade to that deep silver ash. "H-hold on a second..!"

"Papyrus!" I placed my hand over his dusting shoulder, desperately trying to push the dust back into place in a pathetic hope that it would go back to normal. As I did so, I began to lay him on his back on the snow, propping his head up under my arm. "Papyrus say something!"

His mouth hung open, those sockets squinting up at me, as if they were trying to figure out who I was.

"C-come on Papyrus, you can't die!" I shook my head, heart racing in my chest as I desperately attempted to push his dust back into place, watching in horror as even his confused face began to flake.

"Not because of me! Not because I..! Not because I was being a..!"

 ** _COWARD._**

The word rumbled in my mind, making my body tense and that cinnamon bunny rise back up my throat, where it was blocked by the lump that had formed there.

Slowly, Papyrus lifted one arm, reaching up to me with one flaky hand as his mouth weakly curved upwards to form that bright, reassuring smile.

"I... Believe... In you..!"

Tears spilled from my eyes.

Now, I'm not exactly an emotional person. In fact, I've spent quite a few years of my life pushing people away and acting like I don't care. People have said a lot of mean things to me, and not too many nice things. And up until then...

"Papyrus!" I cried out, holding onto his hand and keeping it against my face, even as it turned to ash in my hand and slipped through my fingers. "Papyrus don't go..!"

I had no idea how bad I needed to hear that someone was rooting for me.

And I watched with tear blurred eyes as that upbeat, silly, forgiving, puzzle loving, heroic skeleton collapsed to a pile of dust in my arms, leaving nothing but a silver stained orange scarf.

My mouth hung open as I stammered for words, shaking my head slowly as warm tears cascaded down my cold face.

"Are you seriously crying? Over someone you met a few hours ago?" Frisk tilted their head to the side, frowning. "Why? Because he sacrificed himself like an idiot? You really are pathetic."

The flow of tears stopped. My body stopped shaking.

*Kill.

Slowly, I felt my fingers curl and clench into fists, grasping that dusty scarf tightly.

 ***Kill.**

Tears now cold dripped from my face, my widened eyes almost twitching. My body began to shake, thousands of sick scenarios running through my head. The desire to kill. To smash, to rip, to tear, to destroy.

 ***KILL.**

"I would kill you too, but it would just LOAD us back, and I'd have to kill Papyrus all over again. And that would just be an inconvenience." Frisk waved a hand dismissively, turning around and beginning to walk away. "I'll just have to kill you when it's more convenient."

My head lifted then, and with my right eye shadowed I glared into their back, feeling that burning desire to hurt another manifest in the red soul that appeared on my chest.

 ** _*KILL!_**

Digging my hand into the snow, I pushed myself up to my feet, racing towards the unaware Frisk as my pen slipped down my sleeve and into my left hand, which I pulled back and gripped onto tightly.

"What are you-" Frisk looked over their shoulder at the sound of rapidly crunching snow, and their eyes widened instantly in shock at the distance I had crossed, quickly realizing they couldn't move fast enough. "-?!"

"KILL!"

And I thrust my pen forward at that eye they looked over their shoulder with, feeling my lips curve upwards all on their own.

 **"AAAAAAGH!"**

 ***Their screams sure are high pitched. :)**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	3. Chapter 3: The Human Condition

**Thanks go to cassianaswindell123, Chara Moonstone, BadDRUMMERboy15, Konigstiger726, Wingah, TacoTurd777, DescendantYl2, Archive169, Alrarora, mr lowkey, sonic, dbpeel, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Gray Kanzakai, and Linki.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

Blood flew through the air. It splattered up my cheek and over my left eye.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Frisk stared at me with that wide right eye, my pen pushed deep into their left. Their teeth ground together, blood spraying over my pen and the hand that held it. Crimson ran in streams down their face.

Time seemed to speed back up as I yanked up my foot, planting it in Frisk's chest and kicking them back through the air, pulling back my pen as I did so, sending yet another spray of red through the air and onto the snow.

Frisk hit the ground, reaching up and grabbing their left eye, or lack there of, growling and snarling with pain, writhing for a moment.

Chest heaving and heart racing with adrenaline, the red that I was seeing slowly began to fade away. I felt my teeth stop gritting, and reached up slowly, feeling my face.

Why was I smiling..?

My mouth uncurved from that gleeful smile as I pulled my hand away, inspecting my red stained finger tips, having touched some of the blood that had splattered on my face.

My vision focused in and out as my eyes darted to my pen, the red soul slowly disappearing from my chest.

My eyes widened, pupils shrinking in horror. My heart skipped a beat.

On the end of my pen, bleeding and oozing, was Frisk's left eye ball.

"Agh!" I cried out in surprise quickly flicking my pen to the side and sending the eye flinging from it, plopping onto the ground and rolling to a stop in the snow.

"Ha... Hahaha..."

The sound of laughter caught my attention, and I quickly turned my head to look at Frisk, who was slowly sitting up, hand over the left side of their face, blood seeping through their fingers.

"You're not as pathetic as I thought." Shadows blocked out their face as they spoke, pouring over their features like a sickly liquid, leaving only a burning smile and eye. "In fact..."

And though they were missing an eye, I recognized that face immediately.

 **=)**

 _ **"You're just like me, aren't you?"**_

 **Chapter 3: The Human Condition**

 _"Get out of my way."_

 _"Make. Me."_

* * *

The air felt different. It felt as if there was... Something wrong. Something unnatural in the air.

My eyes narrowed at them as they got their feet under themself, pushing themself up. That blackness faded from their face, and they kept a hand over their eye.

But, still... Something about that smirk. That red gleam in their right eye...

"... You're not Frisk." My eyes narrowed, my hand gripping that pen tighter, even though it was slick with Frisk's eye blood.

"And you're not a good guy." They tilted their head to the side, blood dripping from their face as they began to walk closer. "You _are_ perceptive, though, I'll give you that."

"You trying to lose another eye?" I threatened, pointing at them with my pen, crimson dripping from it's point. "Keep your distance."

"Ooh, suddenly you're so scary after getting the drop on that idiot Frisk." They held up their hands, mockingly feigning fright. In doing so, they uncovered their left eye. It was closed, blood running from the crack between lids.

"Pretty underhanded move stabbing someone in the eye like that." They walked to one side, and I walked to the other. Like sharks, we circled one another. "And yelling 'kill' while you do it... Why, it's almost like you really wanted to see me die!"

"So what if I did?" I watched their every move closely. "You killed Papyrus."

"Oh boo hoo." They rolled their eye. "You didn't really care about him. You know what I think?"

"According to that haircut, that it's the 1930's." I struck with venom and a smirk. Said smirk widened when they frowned, narrowing their eye at me.

"... You get that one for free." The stated in a low growl, before continuing.

"I think that you let someone else down."

My eyes narrowed.

"Other people have gotten hurt, right?" Their smirk returned, growing slowly. "Maybe even died because _you_ screwed up, right?"

"That's a pretty bold accusation on somebody you don't even know." I frowned, clenching that Tough Glove covered fist.

"Every human that falls down this mountain fell because they were running from something. Like how you tried to run from the fight. And it got Papyrus killed. An indirect back stabbing, and you did it so easily." They were grinning now, that right eye shining crimson. "Like you've done it before. Like it was, dare I say, second nature?"

I stopped circling. They stopped as well.

An icy wind blew between us, lifting their hair and momentarily covering that bloody, closed eye.

"You're way off base." I smirked lightly, convincingly. They frowned. "You've got no concept of who I am."

"Then would you mind introducing yourself?" They tilted their head to the side, extending one blood stained hand for a handshake. "I'll even be nice enough to start."

"..." My eyes darted to their hand, before I boldly reached out with my own blood stained hand, firmly gripping and shaking their hand.

They smiled in a less than friendly way. I noted that the blood oozing from their empty eye socket was tainted black.

"Chara Dreemurr."

"..." I paused for a moment, staring into the eye of the beast without flinching.

"... Cter. Cter the Hacker."

* * *

"You didn't answer my first question." Sans' pupils disappeared from his skull. "Who are you? N' while you're at it, what're you planning?"

Anarchy didn't answer. Snow crunched as he walked ever closer, smiling gently.

"Y'know, down here, it's considered polite to answer when somebody asks ya a question." Sans narrowed his sockets at Anarchy, jaw clenching.

Anarchy's fingers twitched, grasping at the air, straightening and unstraightening, clawing at nothing but air.

It itched. The skeleton talked too much. He had to scratch it. It itched.

Sans' jaw clenched as he stared into those cold, crimson eyes. That caring smile on Anarchy's face was trembling, trying not to grow into a grin or fall into a frown.

Anarchy was getting closer. Could he break a skull with one punch? He knew he could do it with his crowbar, he'd done that before.

Sans' pupils darted to that left fist that Anarchy clenched. It's shadow on the snow almost seemed to pulsate and writhe. He could feel that sickness deep in his core. He could feel Anarchy's intentions.

 _ **"Because they are made of magic, monster's bodies are attuned to their SOUL."**_

 _ **"If a monster doesn't want to fight, its defenses will weaken."**_

 _ **"And the crueler the intentions of our enemies, the more their attacks will hurt us."**_

 _ **"Therefore, if a being with a powerful SOUL struck with the desire to kill..."**_

It itched. Anarchy had to scratch it. It itched. He was losing his mind. His fist clenched so tight that his long, untrimmed finger nails sliced through the skin of his palm, blood dripping down through his fingers and onto the snow.

Would his skull break easier than a human's? Would it be sturdier? Would it give that same satisfying crunch?

His smile twitched and cracked up his face. Those crimson eyes darted rapidly around the area, looking in different directions, searching for things he could use to scratch that itch.

Sans grimaced. He couldn't fight this... Thing in human skin. He had to run. He had to get Papyrus and get as far from this beast as possible.

Anarchy bent at the knees. Both of those crimson eyes snapped from the separate directions they were looking in to lock on to Sans. His grin tore across his face, reaching up to his ears and barring those fangs. He cocked back that fist, and snow burst from under his feet as he launched forward, sprinting towards Sans as fast as he could, laughter exploding past his lips and crashing through the forest.

Sans took a step back, those white pupils disappearing just before he vanished, Anarchy's fist swinging through thin air and slamming into the earth, Anarchy falling onto his hands and knees.

His head snapped from side to side, wide eyes looking for his victim. His laughter had stopped, his grin replaced with an enraged frown.

Sans was gone.

Anarchy needed to kill something. His ears ached for a scream. His mouth ached for the taste of blood.

He remained there, entirely motionless. His ears listened intently.

Distant laughter. People playing in the snow. Talking. Existing.

Life.

*Bring death.

Creation.

*Cause destruction.

Order.

 ***ANARCHY.**

* * *

"Cter..?" Chara's eye narrowed at me as we let go of each other's hand. "The Hacker..?"

They paused for a moment, before brushing off their confusion with a smirk. They began walking backwards away from me.

"Well, 'Cter'," They turned around, glancing at me over their shoulder. "I look forward to the next time we get to talk. I'm sure the circumstances will be... Different."

I watched them go. Though I played my best confident act, they were right. They could slaughter me, it wouldn't even be close.

"..." Slowly, my eyes drifted down to that scarf, left there in the snow.

"... What am I gonna do, Papyrus?" I knelt down, picking up that scarf.

*A reminder that someone is rooting for you.

"..." I took a deep breath, nodding. Looking ahead, I tucked the scarf away into my inventory.

"I'm late! I'm late!"

Cocking a brow, I looked over my shoulder, before my green eyes widened.

"Out of the way- ahh!"

The shorter lizard monster in the yellow striped shirt tripped on his own feet just as he got close, successfully launching himself head first into my chest, knocking me off my feet and sending us both tumbling to the ground.

"Eugh..." I placed a hand on my head, eyes winced shut as I felt the weight on my chest quickly pull itself off me, and I opened one eye to look up at my assailant(?).

"Hey, you must be out to see her too, right?!" Monster Kid ran in place as I slowly climbed to my feet, groaning.

"Wait, wha-"

I was cut off as I felt his tail wrap around my wrist, my eyes widening as I was yanked forward, being forced to run towards Waterfall.

"Come on! We can still catch her if we run!"

* * *

Footsteps echoed through the blackness.

Tiny, monochromatic feet stomped through the dark, their little hands clenched into tight fists.

He stood, skeletal hands behind his back as he looked out at a wall of twitching, flickering screens.

"Wing Ding Gaster!"

He cocked a brow as he looked over his lab coat covered shoulder, revealing the crack in his skull running up from his eyebrow.

"Did you just full name me, Frisk?" He turned away from the screens to face the monochromatic child.

"Yes! I! Did!" They stomped their way right up to him, narrowing their black, void eyes up at him. "Do you have ANY IDEA what you've done?!"

"Hopefully, saved my home." Gaster turned his back on CORE Frisk, looking up to the screens once more.

"Think bigger, wing dork!" C Frisk threw their hands into the air. "You can't just... Pull people into our reality from a completely separate one!"

Gaster frowned, static glitching over one of his eyes for but a moment.

"I'm having this conversation with twenty other Gasters right now, and this has got to be the DUMBEST thing ANYONE has EVER done!"

"I did what I had to do." Gaster spoke in a low growl. "You have an entire timeline full of those who could have helped me, but you left me to my own devices. So I, and twenty of my counter parts, apparently, did what we had to do."

"I am NOT a military dispatcher!" C Frisk stomped to express their frustrations. "The Omega Timeline is a safe haven for damaged souls, not a barracks full of soldiers ready to just go 'fix' anybody's timeline!"

"So I was just supposed to do what you do?" Gaster looked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes down at the child. "Nothing?"

"Gaster, these kids you dragged into this completely willy nilly are incredibly volatile!" C Frisk threw their tiny hands into the air. "Each with different personalities and opinions on things like, for example, murder!"

"Not to mention that their bodies and souls don't entirely play by the rules of our reality! If some of them were to reach their full potential, they'd be on an entire other level of power! They could be stronger than anything this multiverse has ever seen before!"

Gaster's sockets narrowed sourly, but he kept his back to C Frisk.

"With every decision the original twenty one make, another multiverse splits from them. With every 'what if', another reality containing another incredibly powerful human from outside the code is formed. They're completely impossible to contain or dispose of! Don't you see what you've done?!"

"... Yes." Gaster looked over his shoulder at C Frisk slowly, his mouth curving upwards in that trademark crescent smile. "Welcome, CORE Frisk, to a new beginning."

C Frisk's jaw clenched, their eyes narrowing up at Gaster, who's eyes almost seemed to glow blue and orange.

"The era of DoubleTale has begun!"

* * *

"Come on, come on!" Monster Kid jumped impatiently as I quickly jogged up to the SAVE point next to Sans' post, right at the entrance to Waterfall. "We're gonna miss her! What are you doing?"

"Uhh..." Figuring he couldn't see the SAVE point, I reached out and touched it. As I had hoped, the blood disappeared from my clothes, skin, and pen. I felt a little less mentally exhausted, as well. So that was nice.

"Sorry! Had to make sure I look presentable!" I turned around to face Monster Kid, grinning innocently.

"Whoa! I've never seen a monster with magic like that! How'd you do that?" Monster Kid asked as I walked back up to him. "Actually, why'd you have that red stuff on you in the first place?"

"No time!" I assured, this time grabbing him by the shoulder and quickly pulling him into the next room.

We quickly trudged through the water of the waterfall before making our way into the next room.

The room was empty. No Undyne standing on the ridge over us, and no Frisk crouching in the grass in front of us.

 _Thank god, we missed them..._

"Aw, man! We must have just missed her!" Monster Kid frowned, stamping his foot.

"Well, hey man, lets keep moving so we don't miss her again." I tapped Monster Kid on the shoulder with the back of my hand, smiling in a reassuring way and nodding towards the path ahead.

*Great idea. With Monster Kid around, it will deter Undyne and Frisk from attacking you.

I made a single finger gun at my text box when Monster Kid wasn't looking, winking to confirm to it that I was in fact the genius virtuoso it was praising me for being.

As we continued on the path, We made our way to the bridge of flowers, and Monster Kid 'huh'ed with interest.

"Who else would be out this late?" Monster Kid asked, arching a brow over at me.

"Maybe it's a bad guuuyyyy!" I made a spooky hand motion, making Monster Kid laugh, playfully shoving me with his tail as we stepped over the flower bridge.

"Yeah right! If there was a bad guy that close, we'd hear Undyne giving them a butt kicking!" Monster Kid grinned confidently, making me chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I smiled along as we walked.

*Undyne will die all the same. You know that.

"Do you have to be such a downer?!" I whispered angrily.

"What?" Monster Kid glanced over at me, and I smiled nervously, waving a hand dismissively.

"Nothing!"

* * *

"Stupid things!" Anarchy snarled, cracking down through Icecap's hat and cleaving the icy monster's body in half, sending silver ash and chunks of ice bursting into the air.

Snowdrake panted heavily, running as fast as his legs would carry him, eyes wide, cold tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Dumb monsters," Anarchy pulled back his crowbar, throwing it and sending it sailing through the air. "Most'a you don't even bleed!"

The crowbar crashed through Snowdrake's body with incredible force, sending him bursting into chunks of snow and dust.

"Ahh..." Anarchy sighed, shoulders sinking. His intense expression slowly calmed down into a light frown as he walked over to the pile of dust that his crowbar had embedded itself in. As he walked, he crushed a Christmas tree bulb that lay atop a pair of dusting antlers, which were also crushed under his mud covered, barely tied sneakers.

"Ah well, guess they scream the same." Anarchy shrugged as he leaned down, yanking his crowbar from the corpse and spinning it in his hand before stuffing it into his back pocket, where it fit only enough to keep from falling out, the majority of the metal still sticking out, reaching straight up.

"Still no skeletons though..." Anarchy muttered, slouching forward and stuffing his hands into his pockets as he walked, passing by a sign.

 _ **"WELCOME TO SNOWDIN!"**_

"That is just so disappointing..."

"Howdy!"

Anarchy looked down, frowning and cocking a brow at the little yellow flower that smiled happily under him, looking up at him with innocent eyes.

"You're new down here, aren'tcha?"

Anarchy knelt down, falling onto his hands and knees to lean in closer to Flowey, opening one red eye wide to inspect him up close, making Flowey lean back, a sweat drop rolling down the back of his head, though he smiled to cover his nervousness.

"How'd you get down here, pal?" Flowey winked to emphasis his friendliness, smiling brightly.

"... You're a freaky lil' fucker, aren't cha?" Anarchy's lips curved up into a light grin, making Flowey's teeth clench, that smile faltering for a moment.

"E-excuse me, friend?" Flowey feigned confusion, tilting his head. "I'm just a friendly flower!"

 _"What do you think I'm an idiot?!"_ The sudden intensity in Anarchy's voice made Flowey flinch, that red eye widening and going bloodshot in it's examination of Flowey's being.

It was like it could see him. All that he was. Flowey felt naked under that glare.

"You're a liar. A cheater. A coward." Anarchy smiled maliciously, body swaying and shifting unnaturally as he climbed to his feet. "I can see it all in your pathetic, beady little eyes."

Flowey's teeth grit, those beady eyes Anarchy mentioned narrowing as Anarchy's pitch black shadow stretched over his form. The inky blackness that The Anarchist cast made Flowey's body scream for escape.

"You... What are you?" Flowey popped back into the ground, before reemerging about ten feet back from Anarchy. "What is a CREATURE like YOU doing down here? You're not supposed to be here!"

"That's what that other killer was on about..." Anarchy looked up in thought, his fingers wrapping around that crowbar and gently pulling it from his pocket. "To be honest, I've been wondering a lot about that too."

"It's like," Anarchy's head snapped down to look at Flowey, psychotic grin eclipsing his features. "One second my entire fuckin' life is crumbling all over again and the next I'm waking up on a bed'a stupid flowers that look a lot like **YOU**!"

Flowey's pupils shrunk with fear as that blood and dust stained crowbar was pointed at him.

"Did _you_ bring me down here, little man?" Anarchy's blood shot eyes locked onto the flower, that crescent of a smile still clear on his face as he began to saunter forward. "If I bash your skull in, do I get to go back?"

"H-hey!" Petals appeared throughout the air around Flowey, and he tried his best to muster his courage. "Y-you stay back!"

"I've got a score to settle, flower!" Anarchy's knuckles went white around that crowbar. "Where's Hacky, flower?!"

Flowey popped back into the ground, which Anarchy's crowbar crashed into milliseconds later, snow and dirt exploding into the air.

"Come on!" Anarchy threw his head back, his laughter echoing through the dead and empty town. "Don't run away!"

"I thought you wanted to be pals! Accept my LOVE!"

* * *

 _So this is how he gets around so quick in the game._ I thought, pushing aside a patch of tall grass, watching as Monster Kid hopped up onto a ledge on the tall wall in front of us.

"When I was younger, I used to live in Waterfall. I like to explore a lot, 'cause adventuring's rad, haha!" Monster Kid explained as he hopped to another edge with surprising ease. Weird, he always seemed so clumsy in game.

"So that's why you," I grunted, pulling myself up onto another ledge, one hand above me to hold onto the next ledge and my feet resting on the one I had just climbed onto. "Know your way around here so well?"

"You know it!" Monster Kid grinned down at me, before jumping up to the top of the wall. But as he landed, his foot slipped forward in the mud, and he yelped, falling backwards and plummeting past me towards the not too far down to kill but just enough far down to hurt ground, his eyes widening in shock as his legs and tail flung around rapidly to find something to latch onto.

"Whoa!" I was quick to reach out, grabbing Monster Kid by the shirt just in time, entire body bracing for his sudden weight.

But, my eyes widened slightly as I came to realize he was... Pretty light. Not a feather light by a long shot, but definitely about fifty, sixty pounds lighter than he looked. I was able to catch him without tumbling from the wall with him, arms straining to both support his weight and mine on the wall, my feet threatening to slide forward.

"... Yooo..!" Monster Kid stared up at me, stars appearing in his eyes as he hung there by his shirt.

"Uh..?" I cocked a brow at him, confused by his excitement despite his situation.

"You look totally awesome right now! Haha!" Monster Kid said, not seeming to notice he was in peril.

"... Pff." I began to laugh, slowly and carefully setting Monster Kid on one of the ledges below me. "Thanks, dude."

After another few moments, we had made our way to the top of the wall, now standing in a part of Waterfall that looked a bit more familiar.

"I'm Monster Kid, by the way!" Monster Kid introduced as we made our way into the long patch of tall, seaweed like grass that was covering the path forward. "Just realized I never even introduced myself before draggin' you along, haha."

I laughed along with him, the back of my mind trying to piece together where we were as we made our way through the grass.

"I'm Cter." I responded, looking over to Monster Kid with a smile.

*Sticking with that alias now? I suppose it's more subtle than Hacker.

Just as I looked to my text box and prepared to scold it, blue spears made from some kind of energy soared over our heads, and Monster Kid quickly pushed my head down with his tail.

"Get down! Undyne's coming!"

 _Ah, fuck, that's where we are!_

"Get back here you little freak!"

Frisk sprinted into the grass, and my eyes widened with theirs as they burst through the grass in front of me, looking up to me in shock just before they slammed right into my chest, sending the both of us falling back onto the ground.

"You-!" The looked up at me and snarled, pushing themself to their hands and knees, on top of me. As they heard the grass shift, however, they stopped themself, choosing instead to just glare at me with murder in their eyes as those heavy metal boots stomped into the grass.

I glanced over, watching Monster Kid be lifted off his feet, presumably by Undyne's hand grabbing him by the face.

Frisk glare continued to burn into me, the both of us remaining completely still as Monster Kid was set back down, and Undyne's boots thumped back the other way. Unsurprisingly, they'd healed their left eye back at some point.

"... Stay out of my way." They whispered harshly, before beginning to climb to their feet.

"How's your eye feel?" I smiled cockily, and I could see in their eyes how bad they wanted to stab me as the stood, stepping over me. I took note of the dusty tutu they were wearing as they continued through the grass.

I was half tempted to make fun of them for wearing a tutu as well, but I didn't need Monster Kid hearing me being mean.

*Might mess up this meat shield thing we're doing with him.

"YOOO!" Monster Kid burst from the grass, and I was quick to step out after him, seeing Frisk was just about to make their way out of ear shot and into the next 'room'.

"Did you guys see that?!" Monster Kid looked between Frisk and I quickly. "Undyne... She just... TOUCHED ME!"

I laughed in a friendly way, putting an arm around Monster Kid, watching Frisk narrow their eyes at my friendliness and the fact that I was staying right by him.

"You ever gonna wash your face again?" I winked an eye shut as I smiled with him, watching him shake his head furiously.

"Not a chance! Haha!"

Frisk's frown deepened, catching on quickly to my Stay Right Next To Monster Kid Power Play before they turned their backs on us, continuing ahead.

"Yo, what's their deal?" Monster Kid arched a brow over at me. "They seem kinda grumpy."

"Guess they're just jealous Undyne grabbed you and not them." I shrugged, stepping away from Monster Kid and continuing ahead, Monster Kid laughing as he walked after me.

"Well maybe they woulda gotten grabbed if they hadn't run head first into you!" Monster Kid joked, playfully shoving me. "You went down like a ton a' bricks, haha!"

"Oh like you down that ledge a few minutes ago?" I laughed as well, playfully shoving him in return.

"Hey, I'm top heavy, what can I say?" Monster Kid said, the both of us laughing even harder as we continued forward.

It was... Weird. Everything going on, and yet... Hanging out with Monster Kid, having a friend to talk to and pal around with...

It... Didn't feel too bad.

*Friendship is fleeting. Keep moving.

* * *

"Whoa..." My eyes lit up at the glittering waters around us, Monster Kid and I making our way through the path surrounded by that bright blue water.

"What, you never been to Waterfall before?" Monster Kid arched a brow at me, looking confused. "Actually... I don't think I've ever seen you around before."

*Uh oh. You blew your cover.

"O-oh, yeah, I just haven't explored much! Heh!" I grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. "G-guess I'm just not as cool and adventurous as you!"

"Aw, what? But there's so much cool stuff down in the Underground!" Monster Kid stomped his foot. "You gotta go exploring!"

"I just haven't felt too adventurous until today, what can I say?" I shrugged, and Monster Kid shook his head.

"Well that's no good!" Monster Kid looked to be thinking, before his face lit up with an idea. "We'll just have to go adventuring around a bunch after this! I can show you all the cool stuff in the Underground!"

*If only he knew how dangerous the Underground was right now.

"Wait, seriously?" I actually felt kind of excited, but why? "That'd be awesome!"

I was just playing along, right..?

"Yeah, really!" Monster Kid assured with a big grin as we made our way out of the glowy water area.

Monster Kid seemed to pause then, slowing down as he glanced around the room.

"Uh... Something wrong?" I cocked a brow, titling my head to look at Monster Kid.

"Shyren's usually around here..." Monster Kid almost muttered, before turning to look at me.

"Hey man, isn't it kinda weird that we haven't seen anyone around?" Monster Kid arched a brow. "We're, like, halfway through all of Waterfall and the only people we've seen are Undyne and that other moody person."

*Be convincing.

"Uh... Come to think of it..." I pretended to be thinking. "Yeah, that is kinda weird."

As we walked, the ceiling began to leak water.

"Even Snowdin was... Kinda empty too, huh?" Monster Kid frowned, eyes glossing over the floor and the walls. "And... Is it... Dusty in here, or is it just me..?"

"Hey, hey, Monster Kid, relax." I was quick to say, reaching over to the bucket of umbrellas at my side and pulling one free, holding it over both our heads to protect us from the rain.

"If there was someone hurting monsters, Undyne woulda pounded them by now, right?" I smiled reassuringly, and Monster Kid smiled lightly in response.

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right!" Monster Kid's confidence returned, that excited smile bursting up his face. "Undyne would totally whoop a monster killer's butt in like two seconds flat! Haha!"

"That's right!" I grinned, nodding along as the rain picked up over us.

*If only you could believe that.

The two of us were quiet for a bit then. Monster Kid almost seemed to be thinking really hard about something.

"... Yo, wait, something funky is goin' on."

We stopped, and I arched a brow over at him.

*He's more perceptive than you thought.

"People not being around... Undyne looking for a bad guy... That ruckus outside of Snowdin that made me late for seeing Undyne..." Monster Kid's eyes narrowed at the ground, just as we made our way into the room alight with glowing stones, the castle looming a way's behind us. "You not having seen Waterfall, and me never having seen you before..."

"Yo!" Monster Kid jumped back away from me, smirking lightly. "You're a human, aren't you?!"

My eyes widened, and I gulped, eyes darting around.

"Yeah! That explains everything! Everyone evacuated because they heard about a human! Undyne is looking for you!" Monster Kid nodded quickly.

"Uh..."

*Lie.

"Hey, you uh... You caught me." Once again I smiled sheepishly, reaching up and scratching the back of my head. "I'm human."

*That is _not_ what I told you to do.

 _Shit, why did I admit to that?! It would have been so much easier to lie! I can think of ten ways to convince him I'm not human right off the top of my head!_

Did I... Want to be honest with him?

"Man, I knew it!" Monster Kid said, before looking confused. "... Wait, then, why are you nice? You've been super cool the whole time we've been around each other! I thought humans were supposed to be mean?"

"Not all humans are mean, Monster Kid." I smiled lightly. "I mean, a lot of them are, but there's still plenty of nice ones too."

"Whoa... Seriously?" Monster Kid tilted his head to the side. "Yo, wait, then is that grumpy dude a human too? They kinda look similar to you in a species kinda way."

"..." I frowned, looking to the side. "... To be honest, Monster Kid, I don't know what they are."

"What?" Monster Kid seemed confused, making his way back under the umbrella.

* * *

 _ **"You see, Monster Kid,"**_

"HAHAHAHA!" Anarchy lunged forward, cracking a Woshua through the sternum with that crowbar, splitting him in two in an instant.

 ** _"... Humans aren't like monsters. Monsters are all made up of hope and love and magic and all this good stuff. In that way all monsters are similar."_**

"Ahh..." Anarchy tilted his head back, opening his mouth and letting the plume of dust settle on his tongue.

 _ **"But humans are made of a lot of different stuff. And, depending on the human, that stuff... Might not be so good."**_

Spinning his crowbar in his hand, Anarchy sauntered forward towards the cowering Aaron, that malicious grin twisting his expression.

 _ **"Humans are impressionable. And though they're physically sturdier than monsters, emotionally, they can be very fragile."**_

A horse like whiny of terror rang out as Anarchy sent that crowbar crashing down, blood splattering up the side of his face.

 _ **"So, if a human grows up around mean people who hurt them, that human will become mean and want to hurt others, too."**_

Anarchy felt nostalgic, looking at the slowly dusting blood that was on his crowbar, feeling the red liquid turn to a dry ash on his face.

 _ **"And, when that happens, if it gets too bad... Well, someone will look human, they'll sound human, but..."**_

Anarchy slowly turned his head, looking to the little bird that was struggling away from Woshua's corpse. He smiled.

 _ **"They aren't human."**_

* * *

"They're just... A creature. Something that only feels pain and only wants to inflict pain on others." I frowned, staring ahead with narrowed eyes.

*You're reminded of a former friend.

"... Whoa..." Monster Kid looked down. "That's, like, really heavy..."

"Yeah, uh..." I took a deep breath, shaking away my memories. "Kinda, yeah."

"So... That other human is like that?" Monster Kid arched a brow over at me as I put our umbrella back. "They're hurting and that makes them wanna hurt others?"

"That's my guess." I shrugged as we made our way to the end of the path. It looked like someone had clawed their way up the side of the wall to get to the top.

"Yo, is that why you came down here?! To stop them?!" Monster Kid suddenly asked, stars appearing in his eyes. "Are you like some kinda destiny hero guy?!"

"Well, quick, get up there!" Monster Kid knelt down in front of the ledge, looking over his shoulder at me. "You gotta go convince them to stop being mean!"

"What? Wait, Monster Kid, I don't think you-"

"Come on, it's up to you!"

*He's not wrong.

"I-... Ah, damn it..." I muttered, quickly making my way to Monster Kid and carefully using him as a step onto the ledge above him.

"There you go!" Monster Kid grinned up at me.

"But what about you?" I arched a brow down at Monster Kid. "You need to get to the evacuation zone!"

"I'll be alright, I know my way around here!" Monster Kid assured. "I've gotta go find Undyne and tell her that you're good and the other human is bad, so that she doesn't beat you into a red paste by mistake!"

"That uh... That _would_ be unfortunate." I glanced to the side, making Monster Kid laugh lightly.

"Well, I'll see you later, okay? Good luck! I believe in you!"

I was once again jolted by those words, watching Monster Kid run urgently in the other direction.

*Another person relying on you. When will they learn?

"Shut up." I told the text box, glaring at it before turning around, walking towards the next room.

I stopped, sighing as I reached out towards the glowing star before me.

*The belief your friend has in you fills you with DETERMINATION.

I nodded, feeling mentally and physically revitalized. Also, the mud and water in my shoes was gone, so that was a plus.

I made my way onto the wooden bridge like-area ahead, looking from side to side to make sure there was no fish woman to try to stab me with spears or any murder child to try to stab me with a plastic knife.

Luckily, there didn't seem to be any threats to my health nearby.

That was, until I made my way to the end of the bridge, where it looked as though spears had ripped through the wood and brought the other half crashing down to the waters below.

"... Ah fuck I gotta jump." I buried my face in my hands as I spoke, muffling my words.

*Stop wasting time.

"Okay... Okay, DETERMINATION." I nodded quickly, trying to hype myself up as I paced in a circle before the drop.

"Do it for Monster Kid. Do it for Papyrus!" I hopped up and down, clenching my hands into fists.

"You ain't shit drop into the abyss!" I pointed forward, that glowing red soul appearing on my chest before I bent at the knees, bursting off the ground and getting a running start. "You're a bum, I can handle you!"

And I jumped.

 **"aaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHH!"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	4. Chapter 4: A Helping Hand

**Thanks go to TacoTurd777, BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, cassianaswindell123, Chara Moonstone, Loyal Fan, oohlips123, Alrarora, Reaper4425, Yuuki Tsukiyomi, and Allagenda-domsitzers-chan.**

 **I'm really glad you guys have been digging the rewrite. Really glad to see more people coming back.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _"So you're that Hacker guy G's been on about, huh?"_

 _"You don't look like I thought you'd look... Don't really fit the genius bill Gatherer talked you up to be."_

 _"..."_

 _"Haha! You're funny. What's your name, anyway?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Angel, huh? Nice to meet'cha! They call me The Predator! My n_a_m_e_i_s_._._._"_

My eyes snapped open.

I was laying on my side on a plank of wood, my right arm hanging off into the water below.

"..." I groaned, body aching as I forced myself to sit up, slouching forward and reaching up, rubbing my eyelids tiredly.

"I feel like shit..." I frowned to myself, pulling my hand away from my eyes and inspecting my finger tips.

Oh, great. My forehead is bleeding.

I sighed, falling onto my back, arms sprawling out to my sides, the back of my left hand dropping into the water. It was cool, and even though I had to assume it was a large mass of dumpster water, it was still a little refreshing.

*You _have_ always been one to keep company with the garbage.

"... Nah, man, I'm the garbage..." Memories echoing in my head, I reached up, running one semi-wet hand through my semi-wet hair. "I really screwed the pooch, Flavor Text..."

*I don't care about that. You shouldn't either. Get moving.

"... Yeah, yeah. In the past and all that." I agreed, sitting up and looking around, tilting my head to the side until a heard a pop from my neck.

"... So, how far ahead do you think they are?"

 **Chapter 4: A Helping Hand**

 _"This'll be the day I win."_

* * *

Letting his dust stained crowbar dangle at his side, Anarchy made his way down that wide, wooden bridge.

"Helloooooo?" He called out into the darkness. "Anybody out there?"

His voice echoed along the blue walls, returning to his ears moments later.

Honestly, Anarchy didn't like being alone.

It give him time to think, be in his own head, y'know?

And, his head was a very scary place to be.

If things were quiet for too long, he would start to remember. Who he is, who he had been, what he'd been turned into.

It was perplexing. How did Frisk know his name?

They must have had the same *check ability he had... It was too bad they were dead, he could have asked them more questions about how they learned that name.

His name.

A######

What?

######y

Stop trying to remember.

#nt##ny

Stop..!

Ant####

##thon#

ANTHO-

"STOP!"

His deep, enraged voice boomed throughout Waterfall, and he hunched over, grabbing his head with his free hand, digging his nails into his scalp and gritting his teeth, bloodshot eyes widening as he nearly began foaming at the mouth.

...

It was silent then. His scream stopped echoing. The boards of the bridge did not creak, as he did not move.

Slowly, his panting came to a stop, the shattered glass in his mind slowly falling back into their barely stable placement.

His head was a very scary place to be. Not because of what he'd done, but because of what he hadn't.

*Forward.

No time to mourn his death now.

He had a mission. He had a purpose.

*Destroy.

* * *

"I hope save points cure wet shoe..." I muttered to myself, frowning at the squish in each of my steps as I trudged through the garbage dump, not batting an eye at the dust that I presumed belonged to Glad Dummy.

*You always hated Mad Dummy.

"Guy's whole character arc was that he's a dick." I shrugged as I escaped from the water, making my way to the save point.

*The fact that save points cure wet shoe fills you with DETERMINATION.

"Yeah it does!" I grinned to myself, pumping one fist into the air as my shoes, socks, and pant legs were now dry.

I continued making my way ahead, stopping next to look at the doorway into Gerson's shop. I took a moment to consider, before nodding to myself, stepping inside.

"Oho," I heard the turtle say as soon as I entered, leaning over his counter to get a better look at me with his good eye. "Two in one day, what a treat."

"Uh, hey." My eyes darted to the side somewhat awkwardly, considering what I should say to the elderly turtle man.

Gerson cocked a brow, clearly confused by how indecisive I looked for a moment, before I took a deep breath, nodding and looking back to him.

"Okay, so you saw the other human, right?" I pointed with both fingers to the right, where I presumed they would have continued on.

"Nasty little shrimp, for sure." Gerson leaned his elbows on his counter, seeming intrigued.

"Okay, how long ago was that?" I arched a brow in question, my hands still pointing to the right.

"Hmm..." Gerson reached up, stroking the long grey hairs on his chin. "About ten minutes ago, I'd say."

"Shit!" I exclaimed immediately. "I gotta move!"

Gerson just tilted his head to the side as I anxiously jogged in place, eyes darting to the shelf with five jugs of what was labeled "Sea Tea" sitting on it that loomed behind Gerson.

Quickly reaching into my pocket and rummaging through jingling gold coins, I urgently looked to Gerson.

"How much for all those jugs of Sea Tea?!"

"Hmm..." Gerson looked to be thinking, almost seeming amused by my sudden urgency.

"250?" Gerson tilted his head to the side, and I slammed the coins on the table.

"Wa ha ha! You humans, always in such a rush." Gerson turned around, scooping up the gallon jugs of tea in his arms and turning back to face me, setting them on the counter. "Haven't you ever heard the tale of the tortoise and the hair?"

I reached out, focused, and four of the five jugs of Tea disappeared into my inventory, startling Gerson.

I then proceeded to twist the cap off the fifth, jogging in place as I tilted it bottom up, gulping down the contents in about thirty seconds, a time span that Gerson spent watching me with semi-wide eyes.

Oddly enough, the magical drink didn't fill me like human drinks would. I didn't feel thirsty, but my stomach didn't hurt like it would from drinking a gallon of... Literally anything else.

"Woo!" I exhaled, throwing the empty jug on the ground and looking back to Gerson. I was jogging in place _a lot_ faster now. My legs were a blur.

"Okayhaveanicedaygottagostopagenocidalhumanbyyeeee!"

With that one long word speedily spoken in one breath, I burst out the door, a gust of wind stirring up papers in the shop.

"... I've got a good feeling about that kid, wa ha ha!" Gerson nodded to himself, smirking lightly.

* * *

"Hm hm hm hmm, hmhmhm huhhmhm..." Sans hummed to himself, laying on a wooden board with wheels attached on it's back, under some kind of machine, screwing a panel back into place over some wires with a screw driver.

"A-and you're sure about this, Sans..?" Alphys asked somewhat nervously, watching as Sans slide out from under the machine, which looked like some kind of assortment of metal tubes attached to a metal block base, which had multiple panels and screens on it.

"I mean, it's worth a shot, right Alph?" Sans grinned that reassuring grin after pulling himself to his feet with the help of the machine, shrugging.

"I-I really think we should leave it up to Undyne..." Alphys looked down, rubbing her shoulder. "I-I mean, w-would you really wanna entrust a human with that much p-power..?"

"It's always a good idea to have a plan B, Alphys." Sans winked a socket shut. "'Sides, I've seen that human in action. You can trust him."

"I-I... I guess..." Alphys nodded meekly in agreement, before slowly lifting her head from the dirty and cracked tiles of the True Lab to the machine that jutted from the wall over the pit across the room.

There it loomed, humming gently with new life.

Alphys never liked looking at that machine, let alone use it. It always looked like some kind of weird... Demon skull thing, or something. Even the name was creepy to her...

DT Extraction Machine.

But, maybe with a new name and a new purpose...

She had to keep hoping.

* * *

It was lonely.

All this time walking, and after the first eighteen or so kills that he hunted down so easily...

Nobody came.

Where were they all going? Surely there were more monsters to be slaughtered! More chaos to be caused!

It itched.

All Anarchy ever felt.

The itch and the scratch.

He was on a second bridge, grumbling to himself as he walked along.

The wood of the bridge creaked with every step as Anarchy made his way to yet another dead end of this strange maze of a bridge.

Frowning, he spun around, beginning to walk in the other direction.

He stopped.

The bridge was rumbling. Rumbling with footsteps.

Boots. Lots of them. Marching closer.

It itched.

"HUMAN!"

Anarchy smiled, tilting his head to the side and letting that blue spear of magic launch over his shoulder, cutting the shoulder of his black, red striped T shirt.

"We finally caught you!" Undyne burst from the shadows, another spear already having formed in her hand, which she pointed at Anarchy. On her face, she wore a big, toothy, menacing grin.

 ***Is that supposed to be intimidating?**

From the shadows behind her, two armored knights stepped, standing at each of her sides. Then, two cloaked figures stepped up to the knights' sides, each holding a battle ax in their paws. Continuing the formation of the line, two armored dogs stepped up, one on each side, one looking much greater and the other looking quite lesser.

"Your path of destruction is coming to an end here!" Undyne glowered. "The Monsters have been evacuated and the Royal Guard has assembled to kill you!"

Anarchy just reached back, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side, a bright, pure smile on his face as his fingers wrapped around the cold steel of the crowbar sticking out from his back pocket.

"What are you smiling about?" Undyne snarled, jaw clenching as she stared at that warm smile Anarchy was giving.

Anarchy just pulled the crowbar from his pocket, letting his arm drop limp to his side, crowbar dangling.

"You freak..." Undyne's eye narrowed at Anarchy, her grip tightening on that spear. "You look human enough, but..."

Anarchy's eyes slowly opened wide, that murderous red glaring deep into Undyne's being.

"Do you even _have_ a soul?"

* * *

*Not long now.

Frisk made there way across that thin, rickety bridge, expression entirely blank and lifeless.

"Yo!"

They looked over their shoulder, watching Monster Kid run across that bridge towards them.

*Cter's not here.

Frisk smiled gently, turning to face Monster Kid.

 ***Kill him.**

"Yo, I finally caught up with you!" Monster Kid smiled as he reached Frisk, standing before them. "See, I've been looking for you."

"... Why?" Frisk tilted their head to the side, frowning at the change in dialogue.

"Well, see, I was talking to Cter, right?" Monster Kid began to explain. "And he told me that you and him were humans, and he explained some stuff about the human SOUL, right?"

"..." Frisk's eyes narrowed slightly as Monster Kid spoke.

"And he told me that human SOULs are uh... Impressionable, yeah! And that like, being around bad people or being hurt makes you wanna be bad and hurt people!" Monster Kid nodded to assure himself of what he was saying as he spoke.

 ***...**

"So that got me thinking!" Monster Kid smiled. "Cter's like, totally chill! So that must mean that he was around totally chill people!"

 ***Liar.**

Frisk's left eye almost ached at the memory of Cter's true self.

"So, maybe if you were around monsters who were nice and friendly, instead of monsters who are trying to kill you, you'd be nice and friendly too!"

Frisk looked down, watching as Monster Kid extended his tail for some kind of... Tail-hand shake?

"So, whaddaya say?" Monster Kid asked with a kind smile. "Wanna be pals?"

"..." Frisk's lips slowly curved upwards, staring down at that tail.

They smiled wider and wider, and began to tremble with a fit of laughter.

"U-uh..." Monster Kid arched a brow, smile fading. "Yo, what's so funny..?"

Frisk threw their head back, eyes widening up at the ceiling as they howled with laughter, the red in their right eye almost seeming to glow in the darkness.

 ** _*Too little too late._**

"Y-yo... M-maybe I didn't think this all the way through..." Monster Kid took a step back, gulping.

Frisk's head snapped down, eyes locking onto Monster Kid, that wicked grin twisting their expression.

 ** _*In my way._**

Frisk stomped on the heel of their ballet shoes, blades swinging out from the tips of the shoes.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" Monster Kid shook, but refused to take another step back. "I-I made it clear I don't want to fight you!"

Frisk took a step forward.

Monster Kid's teeth clenched with resolve.

"Fine, then!" He dared to step forward. "I-if you just wanna keep hurting people, then I... I can't let you through!"

Frisk just continued to laugh, reaching up and placing a hand over their face, covering everything but their grin and that glowing crimson right eye.

"A-and... And..!"

Frisk lunged forward, their hysterics reaching a high point as they spun, kicking down at Monster Kid, a red slash following the blade of their shoe.

"MOVE!"

 **SLASH.**

 **19**

My green eyes went wide, my mouth hanging open as the numbers read above my head.

I managed to stand on my noodle legs for another moment or two, between Monster Kid and Frisk, one arm back, hand on Monster Kid's chest after pushing him back out of the way of the slash.

In the next moment, I dropped down to my knees, gasping for breath and coughing globs of blood onto the wood planks beneath me, grabbing onto the deep slash carved through my abdomen in a poor attempt to hold myself together.

"Hmm?" They grinned down at me as I gagged and wheezed on my own blood, hands stained crimson. The air felt off again. That dark presence was back.

"C-Cter!" Monster Kid knelt next to me, tears of worry building in the corners of his eyes. "I-I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, I-I..!"

His words were muffled in my ears.

Why did I do this..?

Why did I save him..?

I'm in so much pain... I'm dying...

Why would I do this to myself..?

Just for... One friend..?

This wasn't worth it... Right..?

"You're wasting you time, Cter." Chara smiled maliciously as they knelt down, reaching out and gripping my chin with their finger tips, lifting my head so I'd look them in the eye.

They smiled a little wider as they looked at my face. Blood ran down my chin, my eyes only half open, glazed over and weak.

"Look what this nice guy act got you." They frowned with feigned concern, tilting their head to the side. "Now you're on your knees, weak and dying in horrible pain..."

Their hair shadowed their eyes, their mouth slowly curving up into that crescent smile.

"Don't worry, though..." They stood slowly, my head lifting weakly for my tired eyes to follow their movement, watching as they bent at the knees, preparing that same jumping slash with their ballet shoes.

 ** _"I'll put you out of your misery."_**

"No!" Monster Kid moved between me and Chara, looking over his shoulder at them as he knelt in front of me, shielding me with his body. "D-don't hurt my friend..!"

 _M-... Monster Kid..?_ My eyes attempted to focus in on the crying lizard monster that clung to me, crying into my shoulder. _What are you doing..?_

"Tch. As if I can't cut through you both." Chara's smirk widened as they crossed their arms.

 _Can't.. Die..._ Slowly, my arms reached up, wrapping around Monster Kid. _Need... To... Move..._

Everything seemed to slow down as Chara jumped into the air.

*Determination.

My arms gripped Monster Kid tightly in that moment, Chara beginning to spin in this slow motion world.

 ***Determination.**

My feet shifted, pushing into the ground as Chara fell towards us, that blade threatening to destroy us.

 ***DETERMINATION.**

Everything sped back up suddenly as I pushed forward, launching Monster Kid and I through the space Chara had left open, lunging right under them and crashing to the ground just past the bridge as Chara landed behind us, immediately snarling, glaring over their shoulder at us.

"H-huh?" Monster Kid looked over to me, the both of us now laying flat on our backs in the mud.

"You're starting to piss me off!" Chara growled, turning back to us and jumping up for a third spinning slash with those ballet shoes.

 _Come on..!_

A shadow fell over us.

Chara's bright red eyes went wide in rage as their shoe knife carved through Undyne's chest as she stood between them and us, her arms out to the sides.

"Well it's about time!" Chara exclaimed impatiently.

"U-Undyne..!" Monster Kid climbed to one knee, looking up at Undyne, who gave one big, reassuring smile over her shoulder at him.

"You've done a great job, kid." Undyne assured, making Monster Kid's teary eyes widen.

"B-but, I-..." Monster Kid looked back to me, before looking back up to Undyne.

"Back that way, there's a lab at the entrance to Hotland. There's not much time, okay?" Though sweat rolled down her face, Undyne maintained her smile and her composure. "Get your friend there, and a nice lady will help you."

"But, Undyne, w-what about you..?" Monster Kid sniffled. "You're hurt!"

"Hurt?!" Undyne laughed loudly. "You've got a good sense of humor kid! Fuhuhuhu!"

"Now go!" She nodded in the direction of the lab she spoke of. "Get your friend up and run!"

Monster Kid nodded quickly, and I felt his tail wrap around my arm, lifting it so that he could get under my shoulder and begin to drag me towards Hotland.

Monster Kid shook away tears, back to Undyne, who I stared back at with fading vision, my legs dragging across the ground in front of me. As we got further and further away, a light began to shine, illuminating the bridge that was growing further and further away.

"C-c'mon Monster Kid!" Sweat running down his face, Monster Kid grit his teeth, struggling to drag my heavy human body ahead. "Undyne told you to do this! Cter needs you to do this!"

"M-... Monster Kid..."

Monster Kid's eyes widened, and he looked over his shoulder at me.

I smiled wide with blood stained teeth, closing my eyes.

"I believe in you..!"

Monster Kid looked surprised by my words, before he nodded, narrowing his eyes and looking ahead, continuing to pull me with DETERMINATION.

* * *

Anarchy sauntered forward, crowbar swaying from side, that grin creeping up his face.

Undyne felt a cold creep into her SOUL as she stared into those crimson peepers of Anarchy's.

It was like she could feel it. His intention to hurt, to kill, to slaughter.

The shadows under Anarchy looked to be writhing, reaching out like 2D tentacles across the ground, starting from his feet.

Glancing to the Royal Guard around her, Undyne could tell they were feeling the same way she was. The dogs trembled lightly. Lesser Dog even whimpered.

Jaw clenching, Undyne looked back to Anarchy.

"... Well?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side, stopping about ten feet in front of the Royal Guard.

She had never heard his voice in person. She'd heard his hysterical screaming and laughter through Alphys' cameras, but that wasn't like this.

His voice was low. It was quiet, and calm. Just enough so that one would really have to listen when he spoke, have to pay attention.

And it dripped wit something that made Undyne feel uneasy. Something unearthly, something powerful, something...

Dark.

Undyne gripped her spear with both hands, pointing it at Anarchy, planting her feet. Somehow, it's all she could bring herself to do to try to keep that beast at bay.

The dogs and Guards quivered, trying their best to hold like their leader was.

"What's the matter?!" His low voice suddenly rose in volume, making Dogamy jump.

Undyne looked between her guard members, watching as each of them seemed to be fighting the urge to run.

When she looked back, her eyes widened in horror.

The shadows around Anarchy's feet reached out across the bridge towards them, their 2D figures running up the walls around them and wrapping over and under the boards to the bridge.

 ** _"YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK, ARE YOU?!"_**

His words blasted over them, that chill darkening their souls and threatening to freeze them to death.

"Ngggaahhh!" Undyne suddenly shouted, catching the guard's attention, making them all look to her.

"Come on!" She looked from side to side, between each member of her guard. "We're not afraid of this albino punk!"

Anarchy's eyes widened at those words, that manic glee on his expression being replaced with a distinct rage. That joyful facade faded, those pupils shrinking and that jaw clenching in a frown.

"Right now, everyone's hearts are beating together as one!" As Undyne spoke, hope seemed to return to the guardsmen.

Anarchy snarled, jumping into the air and spinning, throwing that crowbar at a shocking speed towards the guardsmen that were busy wrapped up in their leader's speech.

"And when everyone's hoping for one thing, they can't possible lo-!"

THUNK.

Undyne paused mid sentence, her eye going wide in terror as she watched that crowbar explode through the chest of Royal Guard 02, who stood directly next to her, and who she had been looking right at.

02 launched back through the air, crowbar embedded in his chest, having shattered right through his chest plate and then through his sternum.

He landed flat on his back, staring up at the sky, light shinning through his helmet just enough to reveal his widened eyes. His body convulsed with one heavy cough, and blood spewed through the cracks in the mask of his helmet, before splattering right back onto 02's face.

Undyne's pupil shrunk and trembled, her mouth hanging open as she watched 02 writhe, his legs already ash as 01 rushed to his side, crying hysterically as he knelt at 02's side.

Undyne turned her head back towards Anarchy, still recovering from shock as she found that Anarchy had closed the distance between them, left fist cocked back, expression twisting with wrath.

His fist crashed into her cheek, and Anarchy planted his feet, kicking one leg back and blasting his punch downward, sending Undyne exploding down side of the face first into the bridge, which cracked under them, a spiderweb of shattered wood exploding out around the two, the bridge threatening to break.

Undyne lay there, eye barely open as both her mind and body were dazed before Anarchy jumped up, Dogamy and Dogaressa's axes colliding over her, forming a heart.

Anarchy landed on the blades of the axes, jumping and kicking both feet into Dogaressa's face, sending her flying back through the air and making her throw her ax into the air.

Anarchy back flipped off of kicking Dogaressa in the face, landing behind Dogamy, who didn't even have time to react as Anarchy grabbed him in a head lock, swiftly turning his head to the side, a crack resounding as Anarchy snapped Dogamy's neck before tossing his dusting body aside, jumping forward through the air and grabbing Dogaressa's still falling ax from the air, spinning downward.

Dogaressa rubbed her snout, looking up from her hand, which was stained with her snout's blood.

Anarchy plummeted from the sky towards her, ax held high above his head. A shadow covered all of his face but that glowing red left eye and that wide, sharp toothed grin.

That ax crashed down through her body, cleaving her vertically in half as Anarchy landed crouched, arms stretched forward and hands gripped around the handle of the great ax he now wielded, which was stained with dusting blood.

Anarchy burst to his feet, racing across the earth towards Lesser Dog, who held up his shield just in time to block a swing form Anarchy's ax, which dinged loudly off the shield, Lesser Dog snarling and barking as he batted the ax aside, Anarchy laughing as he swung all the way through with the ax, spinning and slashing at Lesser Dog again, Lesser Dog jumping back out of the ax's range.

Anarchy stopped spinning, choking up on the ax handle, one hand near the bottom of the handle and the other near the middle before he back flipped, Greater Dog's spear jamming into the ground where Anarchy once was, splitting the board.

Greater Dog quickly pulled his spear from the ground, spinning around and holding it up, blocking an ax swing from Anarchy as he dropped down towards him.

Greater Dog shoved his spear forward, shoving Anarchy back through the air, before he landed, skidding back lightly, grinning wide.

"That's a good puppy! Keep struggling!"

* * *

Undyne's eye struggled open, her face aching and her head throbbing in pain as her vision struggled to focus in on the cracked wood she was laying on and the darkness that stretched out to the side of the bridge.

Gradually, the ringing in her ears turned to a nearby sobbing and the distant clang of weapons, and she brought herself to sit up, looking slowly over her shoulder to the crying 01, before looking back ahead, watching Anarchy side step Lesser Dog's blade, his ax already planted against the dog's shield before he jumped back, Greater Dog's spear stabbing through the air where he once was.

She reached up, ears still ringing lightly and vision still fading in and out as she touched her face. She pulled her hand away, eyes narrowing at the crimson that now stained her finger tips. She could feel it now, the blood dripping from her aching nose and broken lip.

Her jaw clenched, and she grabbed the spear at her side. The ringing in her ear subsided, and as she pushed herself to her feet, using that spear as a crutch, her eye managed to focus in on one thing: Anarchy.

Eye narrowing and jaw clenching with rage, she pointed her spear forward, everything around her fading to grey in her mind, the only things existing being Undyne and her opponent.

Anarchy landed between the two dogs, grinning and frothing as he looked giddily between them, before a roar caught his attention, making him look up.

"Ngggaaahhhhh! Catch!"

His eyes widened at the crowbar flinging through the air, seeming to forget all else as he dropped his ax, reaching up and snatching the crowbar from the air.

Sensing their cues, the dogs launched forward from Anarchy's sides, Greater Dog sinking his teeth into the elbow of the arm that reached up to catch the crowbar, Lesser Dog biting into the shoulder of Anarchy's other arm.

Anarchy cried out in surprise, before laughing hysterically, looking between the dogs, snapping at them with his teeth giddily as the dogs grabbed onto him, holding him in place.

"DIE!"

Anarchy's eyes darted ahead then, widening as he watched Undyne dart forward, driving that spear ahead.

"GAH!"

Anarchy coughed a mouthful of blood forward, sending it splattering onto the wood of the bridge as he was torn from the jaws of the dogs, being carried down the bridge on Undyne's spear, his head hanging forward and his limbs swinging limply.

"You! You're a stain! A blight on the world!" Undyne snarled, continuing to push Anarchy back across the bridge.

"Damn albino brat!"

Anarchy planted his feet.

Undyne's eyes widened as they slowly skidded to a stop, Anarchy's head having fallen forward, white hair falling over his face as he slowly reached up with his mutilated, dog bitten arms, streams of blood having ran down to his hands, which wrapped around Undyne's spear, holding it in place as he slowly lifted his head. No matter how much Undyne pushed, she could not shove Anarchy back any further.

Undyne's pupil shrunk with disgust as Anarchy looked at her with an open mouth smile, blood pouring down his chin and upper lip from his mouth and nose as he slowly began to pull himself forward on that spear, laughing a weak, joyful laugh.

 _"_M_o_t_h_e_r_._._?_"_

A sickening rip resounded as the spear tore out of Anarchy's back, more blood falling and splashing all over the wood of the bridge.

Undyne growled, pulling back one fist and clobbering Anarchy with a punch, throwing his head to the side and throwing some of the blood from his face across the bridge, splattering in a line to their side.

But, Anarchy continued to pull himself forward, his eyes slowly going wide, pupils shrinking with manic glee as he began to bite at at the air, attempting to sink his sharp looking teeth into Undyne, who pulled back her fist, clocking him again with another punch.

But Anarchy kept pulling, kept getting closer, kept snapping his jaws.

"God damn it! Just die already!" Undyne pulled back her fist once more, swinging for yet another punch.

"Nng!"

Her eye twitched with pain, eye widening as Anarchy caught her fist with his teeth, sinking his fangs in, the sound of bones snapping resounding as blood poured from Undyne's hand into Anarchy's mouth.

Eye darting around in thought, Undyne quickly looked over her shoulder to the remaining three guardsmen.

"You three! Get back to Alphys' lab and guard the doorway!" She barked her order, making them all look to her in surprise.

"But, like, what about you?" 01 asked in surprise, standing slowly.

And as blue spears appeared over the bridge, hovering just between where Anarchy and Undyne stood and where the rest of the guard were, Undyne threw back her head and laughed.

"W-wait! Captain Undyne!"

The spears launched down, cutting through the bridge with a loud _snap!_

The guards cried out, reaching the end of the bridge too late and looking over, watching as the two plummeted.

Undyne's "FUHUHUHUHUHUHUHU!" and Anarchy's "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" were the only thing that raced up to greet them as the hero and the villain plummeted into the dark below.

* * *

My crusted over eyes struggled open, everything blurry for a moment before focusing in on a tile ceiling.

I tried to groan, but my throat ached, so dry it felt as though it would crack.

"O-oh!" Alphys exclaimed, making my eyes gloss over to the side weakly looking to her. My eyes were only half open, my mouth hanging open, lips cracked and dry. "You're a-awake!"

She seemed to shrink lightly under my tired, nearly dead eyes.

Was she afraid of me..?

"H-here! I'll get you some water!" The yellow lizard was quick to stand, rushing away from my bedside.

My eyes drifted back up to the ceiling, staring weakly, unblinking. I could hear my own weak wheezes for breath.

*How pathetic.

Alphys reappeared at my side holding a glass of water. She awkwardly place a hand under my head, lifting it and placing the glass of water to my lips, slowly tipping it upwards.

After several heavy gulps, the tall glass was empty, and I was gasping for breath as Alphys pulled away the cup.

"O-oh, I'm sorry! W-was that too much..? I-I just figured you'd breath through your nose..." Alphys sweat nervously, eyes darting to the side.

"In... ven... tory..."

"H-huh?"

"Cin... namon... Bun... ny..."

"Y-you want one of the foods from your inventory..?" Alphys arched a brow with confusion. "I-I really don't think you should be e-eating solid foods right now..."

Slowly, I lifted one arm, reaching up weakly and grabbing Alphys by the collar of her lab coat, making her jump with fear, shivering immediately as she stared into my cold emerald eyes.

 ** _"_._._._N_o_w_._._._"_**

"O-Okay!" Alphys nodded quickly, picking up my phone from the table next to the bed I laid on, clicking a few keys before a cinnamon bunny appeared in her hand, and she skittishly offered it to me.

I weakly took the food from her hand, slowly bringing it to my mouth and weakly closing my jaws over it.

._._.

I sat up quickly, stretching my arms over my head.

"Ahh, that's better!"

"AGH!" Alphys cried out, falling back onto her butt and crawling back away from me. "W-what the..?!"

"Oh!" I smiled sheepishly over at her. "Monster food heals humans! That's why I wanted the cinnamon bunny."

"O-oh..?" Alphys made that jaw clenched, eyes to the side nervous face she makes in the game. "O-... Okay..?"

"I uh, I hope I didn't scare ya." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, reaching down to offer Alphys a hand. "I'm a nice guy, I promise. Name's Cter."

"U-uh... Alphys." Alphys skeptically reached up, taking my hand and letting me pull her back up to her feet.

"Thanks for fixing me up, but uh..." I looked around the laboratory we stood in, seeing multiple beds laid out across the room. "Where are we..?"

"A-an underground lab..." Alphys looked around with me, before smiling nervously, looking back to me. "I-I mean like, more underground than usual! Hehe..!"

I nodded, recognizing this place as the 'True Lab'.

"T-that other human won't be able to get down here. W-we're safe." Alphys assured with an awkward smile.

"And uh... Who is we?" I arched a brow at Alphys. "Monster Kid carried me here, right?"

"Y-yes, Monster Kid is asleep over there." Alphys pointed over across the room to the bed at the far corner, where I could see him curled up under a blanket, his spiky head poking out.

"H-he's really brave..." Alphys admired, smiling lightly. "He carried you all the way to the door of my lab, w-where I was waiting for him. I-I saw what was going on through my surveillance cameras..."

I smiled lightly, watching Monster Kid sleep peacefully.

"I knew you could do it, Kid..."

"S-Sans is here, too. I-I know you met him back in Snowdin." Alphys said, making my eyes widen.

"Oh shit, Sans!" I exclaimed. "I still need to talk to him!"

Alphys seemed surprised by my rise in volume, jumping lightly.

"W-well, he's looking to talk to you too, s-so you're in luck." Alphys rubbed the back of her neck. "H-he's got this... Plan."

"Plan..?" I muttered to myself, before shaking my head. "Where's he at?"

"At the end of that hallway." Alphys pointed to the doorway at the north end of the room. "O-on the left."

"Thanks, Alphys." I waved goodbye, turning and beginning to walk towards the direction I was pointed.

As I left, Alphys sighed, sitting at the foot of the bed I'd been laying on and resting her head in her hands.

* * *

Sans grunted, sticking a glass cylinder full of a dust-like substance into the top of that strange machine he had built next to the DT Extraction Machine, before clicking a button on one of the several screens.

The tubes began to light up, the cylinder slowly empty of dust that was filtered through the many tubes on the machine. After a few moments, a strange glowing liquid poured into another glass cylinder at the other end of the machine. The cylinder already had some of the silvery, glowing fluid in it, barely covering the bottom of the cylinder. The new set of glowing liquid filled the cylinder a little more, now looking to be maybe a quarter full.

"Ah..." Sans wiped sweat from his brow, stepping back to look at his machine, before his eyes drifted over to the pyramid of dust filled cylinders next to the machine, and he sighed with exasperation.

"Hey, Sans!"

He looked to the side, watching me step into the room, waving to get his attention.

"Heya kiddo." Sans' grin seemed a little more genuine as he turned to face me. "Long time no see."

"I'll say..." My eyes darted to the side tiredly as I placed my hands in my hoodie's pockets.

"So, last time we talked you asked me if I knew anything about the stuff going on." Sans turned his back, beginning to walk across the room.

"Uh, yeah." I nodded to confirm, looking to the machine that oddly enough I didn't recognize before following after Sans.

"Simple answer?" Sans looked over his shoulder at me. "Yeah, I do."

"Oh thank god..." I slouched slightly, breathing a sigh of relief.

"And after watchin' ya, I got a pretty good idea'a where you stand on this whole 'monster genocide' thing." Sans stopped, looking up to the large, skull looking machine that loomed over us. "And I think we can help each other out here."

"Oh yeah?" I stood next to Sans, arching a brow at him. He looked back up to me, and that grin had a certain... Confidence.

My eyes drifted up to the machine, narrowing lightly. Just remembering the purpose of the machine, and hearing the light hum of it's activity made me reach up and grab my chest, as if to protect the DETERMINATION in my soul.

But, as I inspected the machine, I noticed a part of it that'd I'd never seen in game.

At the head of the machine, there was a strange insert slot. It was a cylindrical shape. From the slot, a cylinder of that glowing liquid protruded, this one full.

My eyes curiously drifted over to the screen next to the machine, where large green letters could be read.

My eyebrows furrowed, confused by what I read.

"What the..?"

 **MAGIC INSERTION MACHINE**

 **STATUS: OPERATIONAL**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	5. Chapter 5: Collision Course

**Thanks go to Wingah, Konigstiger726, BadDRUMMERboy15, Chara Moonstone, Reaper4425, Kingz T. Infinity, Guest, JaedDragon777, cassianaswindell123, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Tbone8454, and dbpeel.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale**

* * *

 _"So G enlisted you too, Anthony?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Huh. Small world."_

 _"..."_

 _"What, you don't remember me? I know it's been a few years, and uh... Clearly stuff has changed a lot for you in that time, but..."_

 _"..."_

 _"Yeeesh... C'mon man, it's me! M_y_n_a_m_e_i_s_._._._" _

Crimson eyes snapped open.

Snow white fingers wrapped around that crowbar.

Sharp, blood stained teeth grit.

 **Chapter** **5: Collision Course**

 _"Been a long day, huh?"_

* * *

It pinched a little, Anarchy concluded, coughing blood through his gritting teeth.

The crimson pouring from his body stained the hopeful gold flowers he'd landed on, blotting out their brightness with a depraved, deep red.

Growling and snarling, Anarchy's eyes were wide, pupils shrunk and trembling, fangs grounding together in that enraged grin that split his face, a bloody froth forming at the corners of his mouth as he slowly lifted his head, those furious eyes locking in on the dripping red, sapphire spear of magic that was embedded in his abdomen.

 ***Live.**

With one shaking and twitching hand, Anarchy began to reach up.

 ***You have to live.**

Those crimson eyes twitched and shook with agony as his pale fingers wrapped around that spear.

 ***Forward.**

Snarling, Anarchy's hand clenched, that spear shattering in two from the force of his grip, the magic dissipating into thin air and freeing Anarchy, revealing the gaping hole in his mid section.

 ***Vengeance.**

Anarchy's hand continued to reach up after destroying the spear. His body felt cold, going numb. His vision began going dark.

 ***You must have vengeance.**

A glowing, golden light in the darkness.

 ***You are an agent of destruction.**

Anarchy's hand reached out. Weak, dying. It was so close and yet so far away.

 ***Rage.**

Slowly, his hand reached that warm, golden light.

 ***Rage and pillage and kill and destroy, my precious child...**

As his hand slowly closed around that light, he could almost see her. Reaching out to embrace him with both arms, her bangs shadowing her eyes, wearing such a loving smile.

 ***Go forth, my sweet, sweet Anthony...**

Light returned to the world. He was warm once more, healed by his mother's LOVE, hand still pressed against that save point.

His eyes were wide, mouth hanging open, as if shocked into awe by some unseen beauty. A single tear dropped from his eye, sliding down his face a leaving a steam of water cupping his pale cheek.

 ***Go forth, and let even the Angels in Heaven know your wrath.**

* * *

"Uuhh... Magic insertion..?" My eyes slowly scrolled over to Sans, a distinct concern in my eyes.

"Listen up kiddo 'cause I'm gonna be frank and I don't like repeatin' myself." Sans turned to face me. "So as you can imagine, I ain't the biggest fan'a this RESET thing."

I nodded along slowly, thinking it would be better to just let him talk.

"To be blunt, you suck." Sans shrugged, jolting my expression into a frown and narrowed eyes. "Not tryin' to be mean, just statin' the facts."

"That kid is stronger, faster, more agile, and just over all way better than you." With each point Frisk had on me, Sans slapped the back of one skeletal hand into the palm of his other. "The only thing you've got on 'em is a couple inches."

"Anyone ever tell you that you give a great pep talk?" I asked sarcastically, tilting my head to the side.

"Heh. You're funny." Grinning, Sans' looked to the side.

"So I've been told." I rolled my eyes, before looking back to the short skeleton before me. "What's your point?"

"My point is that even though currently you have a Snowdrake's chance in Hotland of beating that lunatic, you're the only one of us who can persist death like they can, and you're the only one they can't predict. Which means you're our best bet."

"Well when your best bet still sucks, I think it's time to fold." I frowned a little deeper, shrugging.

"Did a DETERMINATION kid just mention giving up?" Sans tilted his head to the side. "'Fraid that attitude won't get you anywhere."

"Well what do you expect me to do?!" I threw my hands into the air. "I can't fight that little asshole! They've kicked my ass every time we've fought! I've never got one good hit in!"

"Ah ah," Sans lifted one hand, waggling a finger and winking an eyes shut. "You and me both know that ain't true."

Suddenly, his visible pupil disappeared, and he put a hand over his left eye, reminding me of the last person I'd seen pull that face with a hand over their eye.

 **"Right?"**

My jaw clenched, my eyes narrowing.

"When you get mad, you get impulsive." Sans pulled his hand away from his eye, his little white dot pupils reappearing. "Your emotions can drag you into doing crazy stuff, like gouging out someone's eye or taking one of those ballet slashes to the chest."

"Isn't that a bad thing..?" My expression softened with confusion.

"You'd think so, but no." Sans turned back towards that machine, grinning over his shoulder at me. "It means you've got the killer instinct. And with you being emotional, it'll give you a better connection to your magic."

"My magic..?" I cocked a brow, expression growing even more confused. "What magic?"

"Do me a favor and stand right there, okay?" Sans pointed to a small platform directly in front of the machine, which I looked at, before shaking my head and looking back to him.

"What? No, asshole!" I followed after Sans as he walked towards a lever next to the screen reading MAGIC INSERTION MACHINE. "Tell me what's going on! What are you planning?"

"..." Sans sighed, running one skeletal hand down his skeletal face.

"... Alright, look." He turned to face me. Though his grin was permanent, somehow his tone gave the air of a frown.

"This machine?" Sans gestured up towards the machine looming over us. "I've been busy re-engineering it for a new purpose."

"Which is?" I tilted my head to the side, crossing my arms.

"Taking the magic that other machine over there extracts from Monster dust and putting it in you." Sans leaned back against the wall behind him, pointing to me.

"Into me..?" I repeated, unconsciously placing a hand over my chest, lightly gripping my black, red striped shirt.

"I've run some numbers. Having a cylinder full like you see on top of the machine put into you should give you some form of magic." Sans rolled his hand as he explained. "And with the amount of dust the kid has so graciously gifted us with, we have enough for about three canisters full of magic right now. Once they're through Hotland, we'll have a forth."

"Is that a lot? Is that a little?" I asked, cocking a brow.

"For a human? Oh, it's a lot." Sans tilted his head back with a nod. "Should give you some crazy magical potential. Problem is, I don't know how volatile it could be and I'm not sure how your body and soul will handle it."

"..." I nodded slowly, before looking up to that machine again.

"We need time. And unfortunately, that's the one thing we _don't_ have." Sans pupils disappeared, his hands clenching into fists. "Little freak has already made their way into Hotland."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "They're already past Undyne?!"

"They've fought her a hundred times." Sans shook his head. "And they've always won in the end."

"Look, kid, I know this is a lot." Sans stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know you dropped here suddenly from wherever for whatever reason, and now you're suddenly in this situation where you either have to save this timeline or die with it."

"But, the truth is," Sans shrugged slowly. "Sometimes life is chaos. And you just gotta do what you gotta do. So, make your choice. Be trapped here in this loop with the rest of us, or get on the platform and give us all somethin' to hope for."

Sans stepped back away from me, grinning and winking an eye shut.

"Your choice, bucko."

"..." I looked down at my open hand, which I slowly clenched into a fist.

*Now's your chance. Get ahead.

"... Alright, Sans." I nodded solemnly, turning around and walking back to that platform.

I looked to the platform, before looking back at Sans, who gave me a reassuring thumbs up.

"... You better not screw me, skellyman." My eyes narrowed, and I stepped onto the platform, turning to face the machine that loomed right in front of me.

"Not that kinda fanfiction, kiddo." Sans grinned, reaching up and wrapping his fingers around that lever at his side.

"Wait what-"

"Good luck!"

Sans pulled his hand down, and the humming of that machine grew quickly to a roar as the eyes of it lit up in white, and that cylinder of magic began to drain as the machine's mouth lit up in the same white energy.

"U-uuhh..." I gulped up at the machine, feeling cold sweat forming on my face. "Is it... T-too late to change my mind..?"

*Yes.

In the next instant, a beam of white blasted from the machine's maw, and I could barely get up my arms and let out an admittedly shrill scream of surprise as the light washed over me.

I felt it tear through me, pierce right into my soul and strip away my body.

And yet... It did not hurt. It did not burn, it did not sting.

It just... Felt.

* * *

Anarchy sat up, shaking his head and reaching up, wiping the tear from his cheek and looking himself over.

As per usual, the save point had healed everything from the stains in his shirt to the hole in his abdomen.

"H-... How..?"

He looked up, cocking a brow in confusion before he spotted the source of the voice.

And he smiled.

"How did you just... Suddenly heal..?" Undyne held her bleeding side, leaned against the wall in front of her. The water gently flowing over her lower body carried flakes of dust away from her weak and dying form. "What... What are you..?"

Anarchy just continued to smile a warm, genuine, loving smile as he climbed to his feet.

"I am Anarchy." Anarchy tilted his head to the side, Undyne's eye widening from it's winced position in horror.

And then?

Anarchy turned, and began walking away.

"H-hey..." Undyne attempted to push to her feet, but pain shot through her flaking body, making her fall back down. "W-where... Where do you think you're going..?!"

Anarchy didn't stop. He didn't turn around. He didn't so much as look over his shoulder.

"We're not done here..! Come back!" Undyne snarled, tears building in her eye as she attempted to push herself up once again, before crying out in pain, falling back and grabbing her bleeding side, blood soaking through her wet hands.

"D-damn it..!" Her voice broke as she slammed her fist down into the water, causing a pathetically childish splash instead of the intimidating crash her fist's usually brought. "Come back here you coward!"

Anarchy's footsteps were getting further and further away.

"It can't..! I-it can't..!" Tears of indignation streaming down her cheek as her voice cracked, Undyne put one hand on the wall behind her, gnashing her teeth together from the pain it brought her to climb to her feet.

"I refuse..!" Undyne looked to her hand, watching as it flaked away into dust. Slowly, the dusting seemed to slow down, and her skin almost looked like it was beginning to glow. "I refuse!"

Anarchy stopped then, hearing the splash of water as Undyne stumbled forward.

He looked over his shoulder, narrowing one cold eye at the knight as she snarled, eye widening as the white and the iris in it turned to black, her pupils turning to a glowing white as she ground her teeth together.

She pulled back one hand, a glow beginning to shine from her body as a spear of blue magic swirled to life in her open palm.

Undyne roared, turning her body and whipping that spear forward at lightning speed.

"IT WON'T END LIKE THIS!"

Anarchy's crimson eyes widened in shock as he turned around to face her, that pure white glow illuminated the dark. The shadows that usually writhed around him were wiped away, obliterated by The Heroine's light as that spear raced forward.

Jaw clenching, Anarchy tilted his head to the side, everything seeming to slow down as his eyes followed the spear going by his head, a red cut appearing on his cheek and a few strands of his snow white hair falling to the ground as it launched by.

As Anarchy's eyes slowly looked forward again, his jaw began to drop in shock as he found Undyne, looking significantly more intimidating than she had a moment ago, mere inches from him, yanking back her clenched fist.

"CATCH THIS ONE WITH YOUR TEETH, ASSHOLE!"

Everything sped back up as The Undying slammed her fist into Anarchy's face, his nose shattering on impact before she planted her feet, shifting her weight and blasting the punch downward, sending Anarchy exploding to the ground as she planted him in the earth with her punch.

Anarchy blasted into the ground with enough force to throw the water away from the two, forming a large shifting circle of waves around them, a shock wave of force blasting up through the air above them and the ground under them cracking and exploding out in a crater around the two.

*The heroine has appeared.

 ***Make an example.**

* * *

The rush of white light stopped abruptly.

Blinking with confusion, I turned my head from side to side, looking over the blackness that I stood in. Shimmering sheets floated randomly throughout the darkness, flickering with familiar scenes and familiar people.

"Eugh..." I clenched my eyes shut, turning my head away from the screens and shaking my head, beginning to walk forward.

*Does nostalgia hurt you?

"..." I rubbed my shoulder, looking away from my text box. "... It's a new life. Those things hold no bearing now."

*Sure.

Just then, and I'm not sure from where, a Froggit hopped out in front of me, looking up at me blankly.

"Oh, hey there lil' guy." I knelt down, smiling in a friendly way to the small monster. "You wouldn't happen to know the way out of here, would you?"

"Ribbit." Froggit responded simply, before turning, hopping forward.

I shrugged, walking after the frog, following it through the void of memories.

I chose to keep my eyes on Froggit, not daring to look up, not daring to listen to those passing conversations.

Eventually I zoned out. I don't know how long I walked, both literally and metaphorically lost in my thoughts, before I was shaken back to reality by large, fluffy hands reaching down and picking the Froggit up.

I blinked, stopping my walking before looking up, scanning over the tall goat woman that stood before me, petting that Froggit and smiling kindly.

"It is good to meet you at last, my child." Toriel tilted her head to the side, her sweet smile widening.

"Uh..." I swallowed, still jarred by seeing what I once only knew as sprites stand alive before me. "Yeah, it's uh... Good to meet you too."

"I know of the weight that's been placed on your shoulders, and I must apologize." Toriel set down the Froggit, before stepping forward, closer to me.

"If it had not been for my weakness, that horrible child would not have been released upon the Underground, and it would not be up to a stranger from another world to save Monster Kind." Toriel frowned, her eyes drifting down for a moment, before she looked back to me, putting a hand on my shoulder and smiling sadly.

"I feel that it is the least I can do..." Toriel held up one hand in front of me, her smile widening into that happy, reassuring state once more. As she spoke, a fireball formed in her palm, her body almost seeming to begin to swirl, shimmering and being sucked into that fireball. "To gift you with this."

I watched with wide eyes as Toriel disappeared, mouth hanging slightly open. Gradually, my focus shifted from her disappearing smile to the fireball of a pure, golden light that she disappeared into.

Slowly, I reached out to the floating orb of flame. It did not give off much heat, just a soothing warmth. I cupped my hands under the fire, it's light reflecting in my emerald eyes before it began to shift.

The shimmering light of the fireball changed, becoming more of a watery, inky black substance. The black liquid swirled elegantly, keeping the shape of the fireball but now made from swirling ink.

*You made it your own.

* * *

My eyes snapped open.

I laid on the floor of the lab, arms out to my sides, staring with wide eyes up at the ceiling.

On the ground around me, ink had splattered. And though I couldn't see it, if one were to look from above, the stains almost resembled wings, jutting out from my back.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Monster Kid entered my line of vision, smiling down at me as I sat up.

"I thought Mister Sans had killed you for a second there, haha." He joked as he knelt at my side, and I smiled over at him somewhat tiredly, before pulling up my hand, looking to it curiously.

I would say that I focused, but... I didn't. It was as simple as breathing in or breathing out, and that pitch black ink was gently swirling up from the sleeve of my blue, red striped hoodie, wrapping up my forearm, to my wrist, to my hand, where it formed a pleasant pattern in my palm.

"Whoa..!" Monster Kid's eyes lit up as he looked over my shoulder, before grinning over to me. "You just got magic, and you've already got that kind of control over it?!"

"It doesn't... Feel like I just got it, is all." I shrugged slowly, the ink sliding back up my sleeve and disappearing somewhere in there. "It's... Like I've had it my whole life."

"Or, maybe the people who I got it from explained it to me..?" I stood slowly, rubbing my head. "It's all... A little fuzzy."

"Well either way, you knowin' how to use it makes this way easier than you can even comprehend." Sans added, catching my attention. "And ink summoning and control... That ain't bad magic. Not bad magic at all."

"..." I smiled lightly, looking down at my hand. Somehow, I felt a little more hopeful. "... Yeah. Not bad."

"Uh... How long was I out for?" I looked up at Sans, who shrugged.

"'Bout an hour." Grinning, he winked an eyes shut. "Don't worry though, it's like three in the morning. The little nutcase has curled up to sleep somewhere. I suggest you two do the same."

"What are you gonna do?" I asked, arching a brow at Sans.

"Somebody's gotta prepare the next cylinders." Sans pointed over his shoulder to the machine behind him. I could now see that there were less canisters of of dust, and that the cylinder of magic looked about three quarters full.

"Now go on, shoo scram." Sans waved us away somewhat playfully and somewhat seriously, Monster Kid and I walking towards the exit. "I gotta get two more cylinders done and then get back to collecting dust."

* * *

As water poured back in and over Anarchy's face, Undyne grinned, wrapping her hand around his face to keep his head under the water, watching as Anarchy wrapped his hands around her forearm, digging his overgrown finger nails into her armor to no avail.

Before Undyne had time to react, however, Anarchy brought up one leg, planting his foot in her abdomen before kicking back, force bursting through Undyne's body and launching her back through the air, Anarchy immediately jumping up to his feet and gasping for breath. He grabbed his chest with one hand, leaning down and picking his crowbar from the water with his other. Blood streamed down his face from his nostrils, his nose bent the wrong way.

 _A New Dawn_ by _Teminite_ began playing.

Undyne landed on her feet, skidding back and holding out one hand to the side as she did so, blue energy manifesting into a spear in her hand, which she pointed out at Anarchy, glaring deep into his tainted soul, expression twisting with contempt.

Anarchy just grinned that wicked grin of his, taking a step forward and pointing that crowbar out at Undyne, wicked crimson eyes staring hungrily into her heroic heart, expression twisting with manic glee.

And for just a moment, all was quiet.

...

Suddenly, Undyne yanked that spear back, taking one step forward and whipping it forward, sending it exploding through the air at Anarchy, who slouched forward, bursting off towards Undyne, arms dangling at his sides as his laughter bubbled violently from his throat and he yanked up that crowbar, smashing that spear to pieces, sending shards of blue flying through the air around him, his eyes and grin widening joyfully.

The water under him was suddenly alight with blue flashes, and he front flipped, spears jutting from the ground under him as he flipped down, swinging viciously down at Undyne with that crowbar, only for her to jump back, skidding before bending at the knees, jumping again and launching herself high into the air above Anarchy, who was quick to look up at her with eyes wide in curiosity.

Snarling, Undyne pulled back one hand, another spear appearing in her grasp. That blue energy lit up the sky behind her, spear after spear swirling into existence.

With a grunt, Undyne launched that spear in her hand down at Anarchy, sending it rocketing at lightning speed down from above, Only for Anarchy to once again bring up that crowbar, smashing the spear to shards.

Undyne smirked.

Anarchy's eyes suddenly darted down to his chest, widening with surprise to see that his soul was now green, and that he couldn't move, other than to pivot his body.

Without saying a word, Undyne pointed down to Anarchy, and the barrage of spears behind her fired down, raining down from Heaven towards the creature that lurked in the depths below.

That smile split Anarchy's face, his bloodshot eyes darting rapidly from spear to spear as they fired closer to him, and he held his crowbar out to the side.

In an instant, he threw his arm forward, smashing one spear from the sky before whipping it back, smashing another from his side, before spinning in a circle, shattering the spears spinning down around him.

Undyne continued to pull her hands back, spears forming before she threw them down and brought her hands back again, more spears forming only to be thrown down.

With each passing second, the barrage of spears grew more intense, and Anarchy swung his crowbar more quickly, his amused laughter growing over the shattering of the spears.

And as Anarchy smashed one last spear, his eyes darted down, watching his soul shift back to that burning red just before he jumped back. The moment after he did so, the water exploded up where he once was, raining down around Undyne as she landed, snarling and spinning a spear in her hands, pointing it out towards Anarchy before launching forward through the water that poured down.

Anarchy moved his head from side to side at a shocking speed, spear stabbing over his shoulder again and again before he ducked back under one stab, reaching back and placing both hands on the ground, kicking up at Undyne as he back flipped, knocking the spear right from her grasp, sending it spinning up into the air.

Anarchy landed crouched, darting forward with a wicked smile as he pulled back that crowbar, swinging viciously up at Undyne, who growled, stepping back, the crowbar swinging just in front of her face as she cocked back one fist, sending it ramming into Anarchy's cheek, pushing him to the side and making his feet skid through the water, before he brought back his own pale fist, swinging up and crashing his knuckles into Undyne's bottom jaw, making her tilt her head back from the uppercut.

As Undyne stumbled back, Anarchy jumped up into the air, bringing both knees up to his chest before swiftly kicking forward, Undyne bringing up her arms in an X over her chest just in time to block the kick, a shock wave exploding by her and sending the water behind her exploding up in a cone.

"NGAH!" Undyne threw her arms out to the sides, pushing Anarchy back through the air, the albino spinning back before landing on his feet, skidding back slightly before Undyne launched forward, cocking back one fist and slamming it into Anarchy's cheek, his red eyes widening as he was launched off his feet, being sent sailing through the air, blood flinging from his lip before he back flipped in air, landing on both feet and both hands, skidding back and snarling like a wild animal before launching forward.

Anarchy was under Undyne in mere seconds, that crowbar sliding back out from his sleeve as he swung up, Undyne's eye widening in agony as the cruel steel smashed into her bottom jaw, sending her exploding up through the air, Anarchy quick to bend at the knees, jumping up after her, the blood that flew from her mouth falling back down onto his face as he did so.

Anarchy grabbed Undyne by her ankle as the two ascended, pulling her back down to his level as she pulled back her hand, a spear manifesting as Anarchy rose that crowbar over his head.

Undyne stabbed forward, watching her spear rip through Anarchy's abdomen and tear out from his back, Anarchy's blood shot eyes widening and his grin faltering for a moment.

But as Undyne went to pull her spear back, Anarchy's hand wrapped around the crimson stained blue, and his grin returned with a vengeance, teeth now bloodstained as he swung down, cracking his crowbar down into Undyne's chest and sending her exploding back down through the air, smashing into the water and tearing across it, skidding across the ground before slamming back first into a wall, head snapping back from the force and smashing into the stone, cracking it.

Anarchy did not hesitate as he fell back towards the ground, grabbing the spear lodged in his abdomen and ripping it from his flesh, throwing it up, catching it, and whipping it down towards Undyne with one hand, the other placed over the gaping wound in his core.

Undyne was quick to look up, tilting her head to the side and letting the spear stab into the stone wall she was leaned against, embedding itself there.

Anarchy landed on his feet, hunched over before he stumbled, falling to one knee, coughing a glob of crimson into the water, tainting it red.

"Heh... Heh..!" Anarchy panted and frothed, grinning from ear to ear, blood dripping from between his teeth, his pupils shrunk and shaking.

"How many times am I gonna have to stab you before you stay dead?" Undyne spoke in a low growl, grabbing that spear lodged in the wall behind her as she climbed to her feet, spitting blood to the side, reaching up and wiping the stream of crimson that ran down her chin.

Anarchy responded with animalistic growls, and Undyne narrowed her eye, watching as streams of red began to rise from his body, swirling into the air like a toxic smoke. Anarchy's white hair almost seemed to be standing on end, and he gnashed his fang like.

*You can't die. Mayhem never ends.

With a roar, Anarchy threw his head back, and Undyne held one arm up to guard her face as a blood red aura exploded out around the albino, the shadows that slithered around him beginning to lift from their 2D state, writhing into the air.

*You can't let her hurt you. You're too strong for that.

That red mist seemed to be focusing as Anarchy screamed and roared, swirling into the gaping hole in Anarchy's solar plexus, which began to seal, flesh growing and reconnecting.

*Make her pay.

And Undyne watched in shock and confusion as Anarchy stopped writhing, that hole sealed, and his arms dropped down to his sides, that crowbar sliding back from his sleeve and into his hand.

In an instant, Anarchy's head snapped back down to look at her, and those wriggling tendrils of shadow stopped their wriggling, each standing on end, pointing right to Undyne.

That wicked smile slowly crept up Anarchy's expression, those soulless eyes only half open.

 **"Die."**

Undyne jumped high into the air, those shadows crashing through the stone behind where she'd been standing, shattering the wall and sending cracks webbing through it and pebbles falling from the stone.

Undyne landed on separate ledges, darting further and further up the wall, those tendrils launching up after her, each crashing into the wall, just barely missing her.

Anarchy crouched down, and his own shadow exploded out from under him, launching him up on a pillar of darkness towards Undyne, who flipped, finally scaling the wall and landing on the plateau above, Anarchy riding into the air above her on his shadow, which then abruptly launched down at her.

Undyne jumped back, the darkness smashing into the earth where she once was as Anarchy darted from it, pulling back that crowbar and swinging at her skull, only for her to hold up one forearm, the crowbar smashing into her bracer and cracking it, Undyne's teeth gritting as she then reached out with that same arm, grabbing Anarchy's crowbar wielding arm by the wrist and holding him in place, cocking back her fist and cracking a punch across Anarchy's face, throwing his head back and sending blood splattering across the blue dirt of the plateau.

Head tilted back, Anarchy swiftly pulled himself forward, whipping his head forward and crashing his forehead into Undyne's, making her wince her eye shut, blood flinging from her nose as Anarchy's eyes widened gleefully, and he flicked his wrist, which was still locked in Undyne's grasp, throwing his crowbar up into the air. He reached up with his free hand, snatching the crowbar from the air and swinging down, hammering Undyne across the back of the head with it and throwing her face forward into the knee he swiftly drove upward, sending her launching back and off her feet, Anarchy quickly jumping up, pulling back both knees to his chest once more, and shotgunning a kick into Undyne's chest, sending her flipping and skidding back through the air and across the plateau.

Undyne seemed to catch herself as she launched back, back flipping and landing on her feet, skidding rapidly back as she pulled one arm behind her head, a spear of gold manifesting in her hand before she whipped it forward at Anarchy, who was already racing closer, pulling that crowbar to the side in preparation to smash the spear to pieces.

But just as he swung, the spear changed course, jumping over his head, his eyes widening in shock as he looked over his shoulder, watching the spear rip through his left shoulder, making him stumble forward and lose his footing, slouching forward with that shoulder.

As Anarchy lost concentration, he was rewarded with the searing pain of another spear burying itself in his right side, making him stumble back, crimson eyes and psychotic grin widening before another spear tore through his back and out his chest, making him stumble forward, vomiting up a splatter of blood, letting it pour onto the earth before quickly looking up, staring the spear launching towards his face down.

He quickly stepped forward, opening his jaws and crashing his teeth down on the spear's head, shattering it to pieces before throwing his head back and clenching his hands into fists, that red aura exploding out around him, the spears embedded in his body shattering to nothing from the force of his DETERMINATION, his screams and roars echoing throughout the Underground, his wounds quickly sealing.

Snarling, Undyne bent at the knees, spears appearing throughout the air around her as she launched forward, cocking back one fist.

Anarchy stomped one foot forward, his head snapping back down to look at Undyne as those shadows blasted out from around him again, Anarchy pushing off the ground and firing forward and Undyne, pulling back his own fist.

Spears and dark tendrils exploding into one another around them, the two reached each other, throwing their fists forward, their knuckles colliding and sending a shock wave blasting out around them, the earth shattering beneath their collision.

Anarchy side stepped another punch, cocking back his leg and swinging it at Undyne, who stepped back, watching as Anarchy spun through, jumping and pulling back both knees to his chest, once again going for that drop kick, only for Undyne to duck, Anarchy's legs soaring over her head.

She reached up, grabbing Anarchy by both legs and roaring, yanking him up above her head, spears jutting from the earth in front of her before she threw Anarchy down, power bombing him onto the points, which ripped through his flesh, tearing cuts in his legs and arms, one going through his shoulder.

Undyne panted, sweat beading down her forehead as she brought up both arms, spear forming in her grasp.

Her eyes suddenly widened, agony blasting through her body as she stumbled, knee giving out after a shadow stabbed through her kneecap, another firing through her opposite shoulder, making her body recoil back, sending her stumbling back.

Anarchy tore himself up from the spears in an instant, a red glow flashing in his eye as he grabbed Undyne by her chest plate, planting his feet and twisting his body, roaring as he whipped her body over his head and launched her through the air, flying over the ledge of the plateau and sending her plummeting down back towards the garbage dump.

Snarling, Anarchy launched forward, rapidly sprinting towards the edge and diving over it, grinding his teeth together, pupils shrinking in rage as he yanked back his left fist. Those shadows swirled up from the darkness the two plummeted into, wrapping around Anarchy's fist, clinging to him.

Letting out a battle cry for the whole world to hear, Anarchy grabbed Undyne by her chest plate as the two plummeted, looming over her and twisting his entire body, sending all of his weight crashing down with that fist.

A shock wave of black fired out around the two, a gust of wind blasting down through Undyne and smashing into the water below, sending the lake of trash water firing into the air around them, waves forming a prison around the two as they fell, Anarchy continuing to roar out his rage as he fired down through the air, Undyne smashing back first into the now dried out ground, making it explode into a deep crater under the two, cracks blasting out from around the crater through the earth.

The music faded out.

The only sound was the rain now pouring down around them from all the water that punch had thrown into the air.

Undyne stared silently with one wide eye up at the glimmering ceiling of Waterfall, her mouth hanging open slightly, blood streaming down from the corner of her mouth down her chin.

Anarchy panted, slowly climbing to his feet. His face was devoid of manic joy. Sweat beaded down his forehead, his chest heaving. His left arm hung limp, Undyne's blood splattered up his sleeve and dripping down to the ground.

"... You should have won." Anarchy eventually spoke, tilting his head back to stare up at the rain pouring down around the two.

Undyne didn't respond. It was hard to tell if she could even hear him, dust beginning to flake from her body.

"You had every right to. I'm the bad guy, after all." Frowning lightly, Anarchy stuffed his hands into his pockets, his thumbs poking out. "Bad guys shouldn't win."

Undyne didn't so much as blink. A weak stream of water began under them once more, carrying silver and crimson away from her body.

"You had things to live for, right? The world _wanted_ you." Anarchy blinked coldly up at the sky, light very much lacking in those crimson eyes. "So then why did I win?"

"How could a good for nothing bastard like me be allowed to kill a hero like you?" He cocked a brow up at the sky. "Is the world really so cruel? What kind of God would let this happen?"

"... I guess there isn't any God out there, then." Anarchy shrugged casually, snow white hair now slicked back with the downpour falling over him, water rising higher.

"Or, if there is, they must be a lot like me, huh?" Smiling sadly, Anarchy looked down, where his eyebrows raised in surprise.

Undyne was gone. Nothing but silver streaming down the waterfall with the rest of the trash.

"... I guess none of it meant anything, huh?" Turning around, Anarchy began walking forward again. "I can't feel it, but..."

 **"I think that must be pretty sad."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	6. Chapter 6: The Option

**Thanks go to Wingah, TacoTurd777, BadDRUMMERboy15, Alrarora, NBoss01, Chara Moonstone, Fixer140.85, Doctah Sawbones, welcometodalolz, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, and DescendantYI2.**

 **Now, I've been asked multiple times about why I'm rewriting this. And unfortunately, I'm in a bit of a rush as I finish up proof reading and add the authors notes, so I don't have time to answer that question. But I will get to answering it most likely next chapter o please just know that I have heard the question and will answer it. Thanks!**

 **Also I felt bad about missing a week on updates to I decided to cram two chapters into one with this long boi update yayyy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

*Something doesn't feel right.

"Hm?" Frisk cocked a brow at their text box, feet thudding on the harsh, dry grounds of Hotland. "What do you mean?"

*I mean that we're half way through Hotland, and everything is... The same as always.

"Yeah..? And?" Frisk's expression shifted with confusion.

"Shouldn't Cter be here? Trying to put a thorn in our side? Failing miserably?

"He got past us. He's probably just hiding wherever the monsters evacuate to." Frisk shrugged. "Good riddance."

*No, Cter wouldn't do that.

"Seems pretty up his alley to me." Frisk cocked a brow at their text box. "What's your deal?"

*But that's so... Boring! You're telling me you think he would just hide?

"I mean, yeah. With each kill the already very large gap in strength between us gets even wider." Frisk looked ahead, stuffing their hands into their pockets. "He'd have to do something pretty crazy to catch up to us now."

*Hm... Then we'll be seeing him again.

"Huh?" Confusion appeared on their face again as they looked to their text box. "What makes you so sure?"

*Because Cter _is_ crazy.

 **Chapter 6: The Option**

 _"How do you kill somebody with a face like that?"_

* * *

"Nice human!"

My eyes widened in shock, feeling skeletal arms wrap around me, lifting me up to Papyrus's chest, Papyrus hugging me joyfully.

"It is wonderful to see you again! I am glad you are okay!" Papyrus grinned happily down at me, setting me back on my feet in the black memory void we stood in.

"Uh... Yeah, it's..." I blinked, eyes looking to the side. "... Good to see you too..."

Papyrus arched a socket-brow at me, before sighing somewhat sadly, kneeling down and putting a hand on my shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, human." Papyrus assured. "I chose to save you, because it was the right thing to do. Like how you're choosing to save the monsters! Because it's the right thing to do!"

"..." I smiled weakly, looking back up to Papyrus. "... I really appreciated you saying you believed in me. I um... I hadn't heard anything like that in a long time, and... I think it really pushed me."

*To crave murder.

"Pushed me to do better, that is." My smile widened a bit sheepishly, ignoring the words of my text box.

"Nyeh heh! I knew you had it in you!" Papyrus grinned happily. "And look at you now! Gearing up to save everyone!"

"Do you really think I can do it..?" I asked, feeling a bit unsure. I unconsciously gripped my chest, memory of the searing pain from that slash ringing fresh in my mind.

"Human, with a little effort," Closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side, Papyrus smiled brightly, holding up one hand before me. "You can do great things!"

"But if I may have one request, human, please..." Papyrus took a more serious tone, his body beginning to swirl into the two bones that were forming in his hand. "If and when the opportunity presents itself..."

"Use a little mercy, won't you?"

"..." I stared down at the two bones, crossed in an X, that Papyrus had left floating before me, his body gone. The bones were each about a foot long.

I gulped, before nodding slowly, reaching out and cupping my hands under the bones.

Gradually, the bones began to shimmer and shift, their forms changing from two bones to a large pen and a large pencil.

*You made it your own.

* * *

My eyes snapped open.

Interesting, this time Sans had been nice enough to put me in my bed after knocking me out cold with another jar o' magic.

"Eugh..." I sat up, rubbing my head, placing a hand over my chest. I had been told to report any issues immediately, but other than that dazed state I awoke in after each magic insertion, nothing had felt off.

I turned my body, my feet dropping over the side of my bed and touching the cool tiles as I blinked away the cobwebs in my brain.

"Where is everybody..?" I scratched my head tiredly, glancing around the large room. "How long was I out for..?"

"Well it's about time you woke up."

The tiny, high pitched voice made me look down, where my eyes widened, pupils shrinking at the little yellow flower that was staring up at me.

"Howdy!" Flowey smiled in a friendly way. "I'm-"

"Flowey the Flower." I stood, eyes narrowing down at the soulless creature that stared up at me.

"..." Flowey's eyes narrowed up at me, his smile suddenly seeming a little aggravated. "... Lucky guess."

"I've got a lotta meta knowledge, little guy." I held one hand a little further back, ink swirling gently down my arm, not leaving my sleeve. I didn't want to reveal my magic unless I had to. "You aren't gonna trick me."

"... Mm. That so?" Flowey's eyes narrowed up at me. "You sure are a knowledgeable guy, Cter."

At this, Flowey gained a confident grin. "Smart enough to know it's better to hide than to keep getting in Chara's way."

"But, you know, they expected more from you." At Flowey's words, my eyes narrowed. "In fact, they're very disappointed in you."

"Aww, they miss me?" I smirked cockily, making Flowey squint suspiciously at me, though his smirk remained.

"So much so that they might just come looking for you." Flowey's grin widened, venom dripping from his words.

"Well idn't that sweet?" I knelt down then, Flowey watching me skeptically as I smiled at him. "Give 'em a big ol' smooch from me next time you see them, won't cha?"

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" Flowey growled, his grin fading to a frown.

"And then, after you've done that," Ignoring Flowey's statement, I leaned in, looming over him as my smile faded, my eyes widening in a vengeful fury. "Be sure to tell them that the next time I see them?"

 **"I'm gonna rip their fucking arms off."**

"..." Flowey's eyes were wide for a moment, before he took on an expression that I can only describe as demonic. His eyes shrunk and turned black, and his mouth curled into a small smile.

"I'm sure that's just what they wanted to hear."

Flowey popped back into the cracks in the tiles, and I took a deep breath, climbing back to my feet.

*The stakes have been set.

"What possessed me to lay down a threat like that..?" I muttered to myself, walking towards the hallway at the back of the room, looking down at my open palm.

*The desire to rip their arms off, of course.

"..." Not gonna lie, the truth in those words concerned me.

 _"Use a little mercy, won't you?"_

I watched my palm be hidden away as I clenched my fist, frown growing on my face.

* * *

"Are you really sure the kid with no arms should be holding the ladder?" Monster Kid looked up at Alphys, who had a canister of magic under one arm, standing at the top of a ladder and holding onto the skull of the Magic Insertion Machine with shaking claws.

"Well he certainly can't be the one to climb up here and put in the cylinder." Alphys said a little harshly, looking to immediately regret saying something so mean, before sighing with relief as she heard Monster Kid laugh.

"Haha! Got a point there!" Monster Kid grinned joyfully, and Alphys smiled somewhat anxiously down at him before turning back to the machine, gulping.

"There you guys are!"

"AHH!" Alphys cried out, flailing and falling back off the ladder, plummeting down towards the hole in the floor under the machine.

"Oh, shit!" I quickly reached out, and a wall of pens seemed to manifest under Alphys, ink holding the pens together, forming some kind of raft-looking floor under the machine, which Alphys landed on, letting out an "Oof!"

"H-huh..?" Alphys, still clutching that cylinder of magic to her chest, looked at the floor under her, seeming confused for a moment, before looking to see me standing at the entrance to the room, grinning sheepishly and waving.

"... G-giant pens..?" She tilted her head to the side, and I shrugged slowly.

"Yo, these things look pretty pointy though!" Monster Kid said, kneeling down to look at the tips of the pens. "You could probably kick some serious butt with these!"

"I hope so." I laughed lightly, lifting the ladder that had fallen over and stepping onto it, reaching out to Alphys, as if to signal her to hand me the canister.

"O-oh, thanks!" Alphys sweat nervously, reaching out and handing me the cylinder of magic liquid, before holding the ladder as I began to climb. It felt a lot more comfortable with my pens covering that gaping hole under the machine. God knows where that led...

"S-Sans is usually here to just teleport up there and put in the magic, but he's out right now, g-gathering more... Um... Materials..?" Alphys's eyes darted to the side, gulping. "... T-the other human has... Left a l-lot just... Laying around in Hotland..."

"..." I frowned, jaw clenching as I forced the cylinder into it's slot, before turning, hopping off the ladder and immediately walking towards the platform that I usually stood on to get blasted with more magic, turning back around to face the machine.

"Alphys, hit me." I stated firmly, pointing to the lever on the wall.

"W-what?" Alphys said with surprise, her eyes widening. "C-Cter, you just woke up, don't you think you should rest a little more..?"

"I can rest when the Genocidal is dead." I frowned, before pointing to the lever again. "Hit. Me."

"..." Alphys gulped, before nodding, making her way to the lever. Monster Kid watched with some concern, quickly walking to stand by Alphys, where he knew he was out of the way of the blast.

"R-ready..?" Alphys asked skeptically, reaching up and gripping the lever.

I nodded solemnly, before looking back up at the machine.

Monster Kid glanced with concerned eyes from me to Alphys, watching as she closed her eyes, possibly in some silent prayer, before she pulled down the lever.

*Power.

* * *

"... You're asking me to cover for you?"

"Been awhile, hasn't it?" Sans winked an eye shut, though presumably the person on the other end of the cellphone he held up to his head couldn't see it.

"You know I'm retired, Sans."

"Yeah and I'd like to stop reliving this day so I can eventually retire too." For such a serious statement, Sans spoke pretty casually, his hand glowing a light blue aura as he lifted it. Dust seemed to rise from the floor and walls around him, swirling into the canister he held under his arm.

"... How much time do you need?"

"Not sure." Sans reached into his jacket pocket, retrieving a seal for the cylinder and placing it over it's top before lifting it in his palm. The cylinder suddenly disappeared, presumably being teleported back to the lab. "Could take fifteen minutes, could take three hours."

"..."

"Look," Sans leaned his head back, eyes glossing over the empty Hotland that he stood in. "The kid's already made it to The CORE. And this other human is the only shot we've got at stopping the RESETs."

"I need to know now if you're in or if I gotta improvise even more that I already have been." Sans pupils disappeared from his sockets as he spoke.

"... I need this to end. I can't do it anymore." As Sans spoke, his grin faltered slightly, his pupiless eyes looking particularly tired. "So are you gonna help or not?"

"..."

The other end of the phone was silent for a few painstakingly long moments, before a deep breath was heard.

"... You really believe in this human?"

"He's the only chance we've got."

"Then I better get going. It's a long walk to the Judgement Hall."

*Click...

Sans' pupils reappeared hopefully, his grin returning to its usual cheery state as he lowered his phone from the side of his head.

"... Heh, who knows." He looked to the side to face the CORE that loomed in the distance.

"Maybe we do got a shot at winnin' this."

* * *

"... So, the fate of Monster Kind rests upon a human's shoulders." Undyne frowned, looking to the side. "Kind of ironic, don't ya think?"

"Lil' bit." I shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not really... A part of the humanity that trapped monsters underground..?"

"..." Undyne smiled lightly at that. "It does make me feel a little better."

Suddenly, that toothy grin ripped up her face, and she stomped, holding her fist out in front of herself.

"But you know what will make me feel REALLY GREAT?!" Crazy appeared in the fish woman's eye as she grinned down at me, her sudden pep startling me. "WHEN YOU PUMMEL THAT LITTLE PUNK INTO THE DIRT!"

"So here! From the last hero to the next!" Undyne lifted one hand high above her head, her body beginning to disappear into the spear that she was forming, pointing it high above us. "Take this, and use it to save the world!"

The blue light from that spear reflected in my green eyes as I slowly reached out, that spear gradually floating down until it levitated over my hands. Soon, it's form began to shift as the bones and fireball had.

Within a few moments, a spear sized mechanical pencil floated in my grasp. I couldn't imagine what size led this thing would take...

*You made it your own.

* * *

"... I'm worried about him..."

Alphys looked across the bed that Cter lay on to Monster Kid, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"He's been acting weirder and weirder ever since he found out he'd have to have this fight..." Monster Kid frowned, watching Cter's sleeping features.

"I know I always try to hype up this beating up bad guys thing, but... This isn't a cartoon." Monster Kid's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Cter's my friend, and we're both just kids." Monster Kid furrowed his eyebrows, looking up to Alphys. "And now, all of a sudden, he has to be the hero?"

"... W-well..." Alphys looked to the side, suddenly feeling a deep shame in what they were doing.

"And then I got to thinking." Monster Kid continued, looking back down to Cter. "Is this hero bad guy thing really the right way to phrase this..?"

"I don't know why that other human is hurting people, but... I've never seen a monster fight another monster. Something about it just seems wrong, right?" Monster Kid shrugged as he looked back to Alphys.

"So then, wouldn't that make it wrong to pit two humans against each other..?" Monster Kid pondered, furrowing his brows in thought.

"... Do you think Cter feels like this is wrong, too..?"

The two looked down at Cter, who lay on his side, hair falling over his eyes, frown clear on his face as he slept.

"... Humans are different from monsters..." Alphys held her claws together in her lap as she watched her future savior rest. "Physically, biologically, mentally... I-I think that it's... Very hard for monsters to comprehend how humans function... I have no idea what could be going on in Cter's head right now..."

The two were silent for another few moments, before Alphys turned to walk away.

"I-it's getting late... Y-you should get some sleep." Alphys smiled over her shoulder at Monster Kid, who smiled weakly in response, nodding and watching her walk away.

"..." Monster Kid looked back down to Cter, sighing and sitting at the foot of his bed.

 _Being a human..._ Monster Kid looked from Cter to the ceiling, sighing silently.

 _... It seems kinda lonely._

* * *

We would fight, and one would die.

My eyes opened to that thought.

I would either be destroyed, or destroy someone else.

*It wouldn't be the first time.

I sat up, leaning forward and looking down at my hands. It had been strange, what with my fading in and out of consciousness every few hours. It made me feel a little... Disconnected.

My eyes glanced over to the analog clock on the wall. 6 AM.

The grind don't stop.

I carefully stood, eyes glossing over to the bed next to mine, where Monster Kid looked like he'd haphazardly passed out, not even under his blanket.

I sighed, smiling lightly as I grabbed his blanket from the foot of the bed, gently laying it over him before turning around, beginning to walk towards the back hallway once more. Needed to see if Sans had finished the forth cylinder yet.

But when I reached the end of the hallway, I only found Alphys sitting against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She frowned, eyes barely open, seeming to be lost in thought.

*Yikes. Maybe come back later.

I considered my text box's advice, before shaking my head, walking past the Dust Conversion Machine and taking a seat next to Alphys, glancing over to her.

"... They're all gone..." Alphys spoke after awhile. "... Undyne, and Mettaton, and everyone else..."

"..." I chose not to speak, just looking ahead and listening.

"... What's the point of all this..? What does it matter if you win when everyone's dead anyway..?" Alphys reached up, wiping away the single tear that ran down her cheek.

"... Because everyone isn't dead. 'Least, not for good." I finally spoke, making Alphys turn her head to give me a confused look.

"... Is all that magic frying your brain?" She sounded legitimately concerned.

"Look, I might not be supposed to tell you all this, but, the most dangerous thing about that human isn't their murdering skills." I looked over to Alphys, frowning. "It's their ability to RESET time."

"... W-what..?" Alphys's eyes slowly widened.

"They have enough DETERMINATION in their soul to refuse death." My eyes narrowed, frown growing. "They die, and they wake up right before the fight they died in began. They can try a fight over and over again until they win."

"... N-no, that... That doesn't..." Alphys slowly looked ahead, horrified eyes staring at the cracked tiles under us. She covered her mouth with her hands, as if for fear that she'd vomit.

"They're... I-Immortal..?"

"No." I looked ahead, expression remain solemn. "They're just stubborn."

"They can keep from dying, and once they finish their game in the Underground, the can RESET to the beginning and start all over again." I sighed, Alphys looking over at me, still looking quite afraid.

"S-so how do we possibly stop that?!" Alphys snapped, tears spilling over in her eyes.

"Because I'm stubborn too." I looked over to her, and her eyes widened.

"I don't know about RESETing, but I can refuse death just like they can, on account'a this crimson soul I got here." I knocked on my chest. "That's why I'm the only one who can face them. Because they've already fought just about everyone else in the Underground and won a hundred times over."

"But they can't beat me." I looked ahead, hands slowly clenching into fists. "They'll fight me, and they'll be excited at first at the challenge. Then they'll be frustrated. Then they'll panic. Then they'll finally give up."

"... And, what if you give up first..?"

"That won't happen."

"But-!"

"That WON'T happen!"

Alphys jumped at my rise in volume, looking to me with wide, fearful eyes. She held one arm up defensively, leaning back on her other hand.

I panted lightly, heart suddenly racing. I too looked shocked by my actions, slowly looking down at my hands.

"... I'm, sorry, I... I didn't mean to snap at you..." My hands shook lightly, and I slowly reached up, burying my face in my hands. "... Eugh..."

"... C-Cter..." Alphys slowly reached out, hesitating for a moment or two before placing a hand on my shoulder, making me look up at her from between the cracks between my fingers. "... Are you okay..?"

"..." I sighed, closing my eyes and letting my hands drop into my lap.

*She'll forget by the end of this, anyway.

"... Nah, man, I'm not..." I shook my head slowly, opening my eyes and looking at my legs, which were sprawled out in front of me as I slouched against the wall.

"Look, I'm not cut out for this whole savior thing, Alph." I tilted my head back, looking up at the ceiling. "I feel like because I'm not going around murdering everyone, everybody thinks that makes me the nicest human in the world."

"... But it doesn't." My eyes narrowed painfully. "It just makes me the second meanest human in the Underground."

"I'm... A bad person, Alphys." My eyes darted to the side. "I've hurt people that didn't deserve it. Least, not from me."

"... I don't remember jumping down that hole that put me down here, but that other kid said that every human who falls into the Underground was running from something." My hands clenched into fists on the knees of my jeans.

"... And I certainly had some things to run away from."

Things were quiet for a minute or two, but just as I prepared to awkwardly change the subject and began doubting if I should have shared my feelings, Alphys spoke.

"... L-look, Cter, if anyone gets running from something, it's me. And if anyone gets not feeling like the best one suited for the job, t-that would be me too." Alphys looked over to me, smiling somewhat nervously.

"But you're here. A-and, you've been trying really hard!" She smirked in an attempt to reassure me, though her smirk was a tad shaky.

"I-I don't know what kind of person you were up there, but, down here?"

My eyes widened slowly at Alphys's words, which rang clear in my head.

"You're our hero, Cter."

I blinked once or twice, jaw slightly ajar, before I reached up, pushing my jaw back into place and smiling lightly at Alphys.

"... Thanks, Alphys. I think I... Really needed to get that off my chest." I leaned my head back against the wall behind me, sighing lightly, certainly feeling better.

"Hey, us screw ups gotta s-stick together." Alphys smiled lightly.

I smiled back over at her, and then things were quite for a moment.

"... Wait," My eyes snapped open at a sudden realization. "Did you say they got past Mettaton?!"

"H-huh? Y-yeah, they w-went to bed after that, but they're probably h-heading towards the King by now..." Alphys seemed surprised by my sudden rise in volume, her eyes widening as I stood with a new sense of urgency.

"Where's Sans?" I asked sternly, Alphys looking confused by my question.

"H-huh? He should still be out collecting dust, why do you ask..?" Alphys tilted her head to the side inquisitively.

"Relax, kiddo."

I jumped, turning to face Sans, who was suddenly standing next to the Dust Converter, pushing another canister of dust into it before pushing a few buttons on the screen, the dust beginning to be processed.

"Sans!" I smiled lightly with some relief, but questions still pressed in my mind.

"Wait, but, if you're here, who's..?" I cocked a brow at Sans, who looked to the side, waving a skeletal hand dismissively.

"I got an old buddy a'mine covering for me, don't worry about it." Sans leaned against the machine as the dust drained into the last cylinder of magic, filling it.

"But we're running low on time, so would'ja mind hoppin' up on that platform so we can get this over with?" Sans tilted his head to the side, and I nodded quickly.

"Lets get this bread."

* * *

Footsteps echoed down the golden hall. They bounced off the stained glass windows and tall pillars, breaching the shadows with ease.

A glowing light in the darkness.

They squinted with confusion.

*What's that?

The light burned a low orange. It illuminated the hall in a dim candle light, distracting from the soft dawn light that shun through the barrier and over the final corridor.

Frisk made their way to the light, and their eyes narrowed in some confusion and some curiosity.

"... I'm not who you were expecting." Reaching up with one flaming hand, Grillby pushed up his glasses with one flaming finger, before recrossing his arms.

Frisk's hand wrapped around that knife, watching Grillby skeptically.

"Truthfully, I didn't expect to be here today either." Grillby stood completely calm in the face of the beast, flames crackling gently in the silent halls.

"... But, I'm a man of few words, so I'll keep this simple." Grillby lifted one hand, and flames danced in his palm, hopping between his fingers.

"I'm here to bide time for your real final battle. and I have no interest in fighting you, nor do I have any reserves about fighting you. So I'm going to give you an option." Grillby looked to Frisk with the glare in those glasses covering his eyes as they always did.

"You can fight me, or you can sit and wait." Grillby threw his arm to the side then, and Frisk's head snapped back to the doorway behind them, where they heard a whoosh of flames, followed by the crackling of burning.

They squinted with mild annoyance at the wall of flames that had sprung to life at the exit to the hall behind them.

"... I'm not going to let you leave either way. But you have the option of being burnt within an inch of your life every few moments for the next fifteen minutes to three hours in a futile attempt at killing me, or you can sit down and rest for whatever may come next. It's your choice."

*A new fight? We'd have to be an idiot to pass up this opportunity.

Frisk's lips slowly crawled up their face in a smile as they stepped forward, holding that blade out to the side. The Real Knife gleamed, reflecting the light of Grillby's flame.

"..." Grillby smiled as well, reaching up and beginning to roll up his sleeves. "Always the hard way with you humans, isn't it?"

"That's alright. I think I might have wanted it this way. As a fire elemental..." Grillby extended his arms to the side, his chest lifting with a deep breath. "It's hard to express anger without..."

In an instant, the hall was alight with flames behind him, Frisk wincing from the sudden brightness, watching the wall of fire rise behind Grillby, twisting and flickering. The hall was now a vengeful orange instead of that heavenly gold.

"... Turning something to ash."

Frisk grinned eagerly, bending at the knees. They could feel the heat of the flames on their face, and they watched as Grillby's body almost seemed less stable, growing and breathing like the flames behind him. Fire rose up around his rolled up sleeves, licking up into the air.

"But I guess..." Jaw clenching in a frown, Grillby reached up, pushing up his glasses.

"You know a lot about turning things to ash, huh?"

* * *

"W-wait! Cter!"

I looked over from my place on that platform, cocking a brow as I watched Monster Kid emerge from the shadows and into the room.

I shot Sans a glance, and he shrugged, one hand up on the lever to turn on the machine.

"I-I overheard you talking to Alphys..." Monster Kid looked down, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"Monster Kid..." I slowly stepped off of the platform, walking towards him.

"I knew you were acting weird, I knew something was even more wrong than everything already seems..." I watched as Monster Kid's toes curled on the floor, the dull, talon-like claws on his feet scraping against the tiles.

"You aren't a killer, Cter!" Monster Kid suddenly looked up, tears building in his eyes. "This isn't right!"

"Look, Monster Kid, no one hates this idea more than me,"

*That's a lie. You want to slaughter them.

I shot my text box a glare, before looking back to Monster Kid as I walked closer to him. "... But you know what the stakes are. I _have_ to do this."

"Well there's gotta be _some_ other way!" Monster Kid stomped, tears over flowing from his eyes. "Y-you'll be alone with them for so long! A-and they're really mean..! A-and..! I..!"

Monster Kid buried his head in my chest as I hugged him, clinging to me as if trying to keep me from leaving.

"... I-I don't want you to become mean like them..."

"Aw, Monster Kid, is that what this is about..?" I asked quietly, Monster Kid sniffling and nodding, keeping his face in my shirt.

"You've already been acting different lately..." Monster Kid's eyes narrowed at the ground, tears dripping down from his cheeks to the cracked tiles.

"What? That's not... True..?" As I spoke, I looked up, glancing to Alphys and Sans for confirmation. But, to my surprise, they were both slowly shrugging, nodding that yes I was in fact acting differently.

"... Ah, shit..." I slowly looked back down to Monster Kid, sighing and patting his back comfortingly.

"Monster Kid... I'm sorry." I smiled sadly at Monster Kid as he looked up at me. "I didn't mean to freak you out. I've just... Been a little stressed out."

"I kinda..." I laughed nervously, reaching up and rubbing the back of my head. "Went from being a total loser to being a super hero legendary savior of the Underground in a couple days. That breeds a lotta doubts."

"Cter, you aren't a total loser..." Monster Kid frowned up at me. "You're like... Really cool, haha... And magic doesn't have anything to do with that..."

"And knowing that you think that about me is gonna keep me that way." I smiled down at Monster Kid, winking an eye shut. "Even if I gotta fight that kid a billion times."

"..." Monster Kid sniffled. "You promise..?"

I grinned, holding up one hand as I stepped back away from Monster Kid. "I'll even shake on it."

"Uh..." Monster Kid looked to my hand, before laughing, reaching up with his tail, wrapping it around my palm, my hand grasping his tail and shaking it up and down.

We both grinned wide at each other.

* * *

 _Megalo Grilled Back_ by _katrina 130_ playing.

Frisk spun their knife around so that the blade was facing downwards, holding it out to the side before bending at the knees, firing off the ground at Grillby, who stood calm, unmoving.

Suddenly, just as Frisk reached him, a torrent of flames blasted out from under him, making them skid on their feet, throwing up their arms in an X to block from the heat as they jumped back.

As Frisk slide back on their feet, they watched the ring of fire around Grillby die down to the height of his knees, spinning around him defensively. Pillars of flame burst into the air behind the fire elemental, bending and launching forward, firing down the hall at Frisk, who growled, crouching low to the ground before bursting off in a sprint, their feet crashing heavily down to the tiles.

As they ran, they ducked under the flames launching at them, which crashed into the wall behind them, exploding in a wave of heat that threw their hair forward and ignited the back wall of the Judgement Hall.

Frisk dove forward, yanking back that knife and swinging down at Grillby, a red slash following their blade through the air.

Grillby's body flickered, flames shifting and dying down in an instant, Frisk watching in shock as their blade sliced nothing but air. In the next instant, Grillby reignited at their side, burning hand wrapping around the wrist of their knife wielding hand and yanking them from the air.

Grillby slammed them into the ground, and as they tried to push themselves back up, he pressed his free hand to their chest, and their enraged eyes darted into Grillby's cold and calculating ones.

Grillby's fiery jaw clenched in a sudden straining, and his body burned brighter, the ring of fire around them exploding up into the air as Grillby's body shifted from a warm orange to a searing blue, and Frisk screamed out in pain, his hand scorching through their shirt and melting it's way into their chest and wrist, black smoke rising from their body as they flailed, eyes widening in the excruciating pain coursing through them.

Roaring, Frisk suddenly threw their free arm out to the side, and a burnt frying pain appeared in their grasp just before they swung up, cracking Grillby across the face. A red shock wave blasted through the hall, Grillby recoiling as the flames around them whipped back from the shock wave.

The fire elemental spun through, however, keeping his grip on their wrist as his flames returned to orange, lifting them and turning on his heel, whipping them back across the hall.

Frisk landed hard on their side, flipping and skidding across the warm tiles before eventually sliding to a stop just in front of the Save Point, everything behind that up in flames.

Frisk growled, using their good, not so scorched left hand to push themselves to their knees, clutching their melting right wrist to their blackened and bleeding chest. They opened their left palm, and a Legendary Hero appeared in their grasp. They opened their mouth surprisingly wide, stuffing the sandwich into their jaws and chewing it in mere seconds.

They stood after another moment, looking down to their HP bar as their wrist and chest sealed and filled back out, their bubbling blackened flesh turning to a beat red, still cracking and rashy looking state. Third degree burns turned to first.

41/92.

*The Hall is on fire.

Chara certainly wasn't wrong. It was getting hard to breath, black smoke building over the ceiling. The wall behind Frisk was entirely covered in writhing flames, and so were several of the pillars between them and Grillby, along with the floor around and directly behind Grillby.

"Fire and humans are very similar, I think." Grillby did not move from his place across the hall as he spoke over the crackling of flames. "They both destroy all that they touch."

"Another similarity is that they both require oxygen to breath." Grillby threw his arms down to the sides then, two waves of fire blasting from his arms down the hall, Frisk watching with wide eyes as they shot by them, further igniting the hall and giving them less room to maneuver.

 **"Lets see which runs out of air first, shall we?"**

* * *

As the blinding light of the machine faded, Sans appeared behind Cter, who's body was falling limp from the platform on which it stood.

"I gotcha, kid." Sans' sockets narrowed thoughtfully as he caught Cter, who was limp in his arms, head hanging forward and legs sprawled out in front of him.

"... Alright," Sans sighed, looking up to Monster Kid and Alphys, who watched with somewhat sad eyes. "I better get him to the throne room for when he wakes up."

Alphys and Monster Kid both nodded solemnly, Alphys looking over to Monster Kid and trying her best reassuring smile.

"L-lets get to the evacuation zone, okay?" Alphys tilted her head to the side, reaching out her hand for him to take. "I-I'm sure your family must be worried sick."

Monster Kid nodded once to her as he took her hand with his tail, before looking back to Sans.

"Yo, when Cter wakes up, make sure to tell him that we believe in him, alright?" Monster Kid asked, and Sans nodded.

"You got it kiddo." Sans made a skeletal finger gun at Monster Kid, before disappearing with Cter in his arms.

Monster Kid sighed as they disappeared, looking down.

 _Please be okay..._

* * *

"I can't imagine all that smoke will be good for my flowers..." Asgore found himself muttering, looking up from the flowers he was watering to the smoke filtering in through the top of the doorway leading from the Last Corridor to the throne Room.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that one, your Majesty. Grillbz gets a little hot headed."

Asgore's eyebrows raised in surprise, and he turned to watch as Sans set Cter's limp body into Asgore's throne, which loomed at the center of the room.

"Hope ya don't mind that I gave him your seat." Sans turned around, winking an eye shut at Asgore as he stepped closer. "He's still a little out of it, is all.

"That is not a problem, Sans." Asgore smiled kindly, waving a hand to dismiss worry. "He has more right to sit there than I."

"So... This is him, hm..?" Asgore paused in front of the throne, looking down at the slumped over Cter with sad eyes. "The one from another world, destined to save Monster Kind?"

"I've never been too big'a believer in that destiny stuff myself, but yeah, somethin' like that." Sans shrugged, those white dots in his sockets darting to the side.

"Sans... You have heard of the legend, yes?" Asgore glanced over at Sans, lifting his eyebrows inquisitively. "The one that speaks of the savior of the underground?"

"Somethin' about an Angel that's seen the surface, right?" Sans cocked a brow up at Asgore. "You think this kid is him?"

"Wishful thinking, I suppose." Asgore chuckled lightly, looking back to Cter.

"But, looking at him now..." Asgore furrowed his brows in thought. "I find reason to worry."

"Hm..?" Sans looked up to Asgore with confusion. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Well, he may possess a powerful soul, and he may possess magical prowess the likes of which has likely not been seen in humans since they trapped us beneath the earth, but..." Asgore reached down, gently taking hold of one of Cter's limp arms, lifting it and rolling up the sleeve us his hoodie, revealing what was mostly bone.

"... He is lanky, scrawny, and frail."

"Eee..." Sans sweat some, grimacing. "When ya got a point ya got a point."

"The other human may not have magic, but they possess agility and strength increased from each life they have taken. That combined with their powerful soul gives them a reasonable shot at defeating our champion here." Asgore's eyes narrowed slightly as he set Cter's arm back down.

"So... What do ya propose we do?" Sans cocked a brow.

"... Us Monsters have something left to give." Asgore spoke after a moments pause, Sans looking even more confused.

"And what's that?" Sans tilted his head to the side.

"Do you believe in him, Sans?" Asgore turned back to Sans, arching a brow at the short skeleton.

"Well, yeah, I built him up." Sans grinned wide, shrugging. "It's the hardest I've worked on anything in a long time."

"Then would you give him your life, like you have given him the lives of the rest of monster kind?" Asgore continued to ask, and Sans' eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"... Yeah, I would." Sans nodded slowly, watching as Asgore smiled with what looked like relief.

"Then lets give it to him." Asgore reached out one hand, which was glowing lightly. "The Judge and The King. Let us complete The Angel."

"..." Sans chuckled after a moment of thought, looking to Asgore's hand before reaching out and taking it. "You got a real way with words, ya know that?"

"And yet I've never been good at naming things." Asgore laughed lightly along with Sans, before opening his free hand out towards Cter.

That hand began to glow as well, and slowly, floating above his fluffy palm, an upside down, white heart appeared. A Boss Monster Soul.

Sans and Asgore exchanged thoughtful glances, before nodding.

Slowly, Asgore reached out with his soul, and Cter's red soul appeared on his chest, resonating with Asgore's.

The room almost seemed to pressurize as the souls grew near, lights shifting. A wind somehow blew through, shaking the flowers around them.

* * *

 _Megalo Grilled Back_ resumes.

Frisk aimed with that Empty Gun, the chamber of the revolver glowing red before they pulled the trigger, bolts of red DETERMINATION firing down the barrel and blasting through the stained glass windows, smoke immediately filtering out of the sweltering hall and into the sky above through the now shattered windows.

They ducked a blast of flames, their revolver disappearing as the burst forward, spinning their knife in their other hand.

Grillby's fiery body shifted, swaying and swirling out of the way of each slash before he spun, swinging with one arm, which lashed out like a flaming whip at Frisk, who jumped back, slashing the fire away and landing on their feet, skidding back for a moment before bursting forward again.

They jumped from side to side, tiles lighting up in white hot heat before flames exploded in whirlwinds of fire under Frisk, who continued to nimbly dodge.

They dove into the air, slashing down at Grillby, who's body split into three masses of flame, two moving by Frisk's sides and the bottom one, which carried his clothes, going under them.

Grillby reformed behind them just as they landed, opening up both palms to their back. His fire muscles tensed, his body once again igniting with blue as sapphire flames exploded from his palms, Frisk looking over their shoulder with wide eyes. Their ruby eyes reflected the sapphire flames, just before they were engulfed with the scorching light and heat, letting out yet another ear piercing scream.

Frisk was sent exploding forward, hitting the ground and rolling, their clothes and skin scorched black, their body quivering with agony as they skidded to a stop, leaving a bubbling blood trail behind them.

*He hit you!

Frisk snarled, slowly lifting one hand to their face, a piece of pie appearing in their grasp. They opened their scorched mouth, cracked lips breaking open and bleeding before they wolfed down the pie in their grasp.

*What are you gonna do about it?!

Frisk looked up from their hands and knees to Grillby as their wounds and clothes healed completely, rage burning in their eyes, which reflected the many orange and blue flames burning across the hall. The ceiling cracked, chunks of stone plummeting from it down to the earth every now and again.

"HIT HIM HARDER!" Frisk roared in response, their gun appearing in one hand as their frying pan appeared in the other before they burst off the ground, racing across the burning hall towards Grillby.

Grillby frowned, pulling back one hand before throwing it forward, sending a wave of flames launching out at Frisk, who cranked back that frying pan, swinging forward and wincing as it collided with the blast of flames, stopping their run and skidding them back for a moment before they snarled, pushing the pan to the side and launching the flames to the wall, crouching as they did so and launching off the ground in a sprint towards Grillby once more.

They brought up that revolver, firing rapidly at Grillby, who's eyes widened, his flaming body shifting out of the way of several bullets, before he winced, one firing through his leg and another through his shoulder, making him stumble back as Frisk spun, launching that frying pan out at Grillby as they dove into the air.

Grillby looked up just in time to catch the frying pan with his face, making his head snap back, cracks spreading through the lenses of his glasses.

As he managed to open his wincing eyes, he spotted Frisk plummeting down towards him, holding that knife high above their head, a murderous crimson gleaming in their eye.

 _So, it's like that, is it?_ Everything seeming to slow down, Grillby smiled. _The bartender life **has** softened me up, hasn't it..? _

**SLASH.**

 **99999**

 **99999**

 **99999**

 **99999**

The music stopped.

Grillby fell backwards, landing leaned against a collapsed pillar, slumping forward as his flames began to grow more dull, a large slash across the front of his shirt, black smoke pouring out from it.

"... Sorry, Sans..." Grillby spoke softly, tilting his head back and watching the smoke swirl up from his chest and into the hall, the flames around them now dying down. "I hope I got you enough time..."

Frisk just stood there, chest heaving, sweat beading down their face as Grillby's flaming form died out, leaving nothing but his clothes lying there.

*The Hall is smoldering.

"..." Frisk frowned, turning around and beginning to walk towards the other end of the hall, their steps echoing in the room along with the dull crackling of flames.

It cost them all of their healing items, but they'd killed Grillby just like everyone else. Whatever Sans was planning he had failed.

*I win again.

* * *

"Now take this darling." Mettaton EX held out his hand, his body swirling into the two of his Mettabots that appeared that floating above it. "And save us with a bit of extra creativity and flare."

I nodded, smiling lightly as I reached out, letting the bots float into my grasp. As they did, their forms shifted, one of them turning into a large... Computer key? The other morphed into a paper airplane of about the same size as the key.

*You made it your own.

I smiled lightly at the message, watching as the items disappeared from my grasp.

"Welp, looks like you're almost there, kiddo." I jumped as Sans put a hand on my shoulder, shock contorting my expression as I quickly spun around to face the grinning skeleton.

"Sans?! What are you doing here?!" as I looked to him, I quickly realized a much taller and more floofy character was standing behind him, making me recoil further.

"W-wait, Asgore too?!" I looked up to the King, who smiled, waving. "What is-"

"Relax, relax." Sans reached up to get my attention, shaking his head and closing his sockets. "The king and I just came to the conclusion that we needed to give ya somethin' else for your big debut."

"Use this, kiddo." Sans winked his right eye shut, and his left ignited in blue flames as he reached out to me, opening his palm. "And finally bring judgement."

I watched with wide eyes as Sans faded before I could tell him to wait, his body swirling into the dragonic skull that was forming in his palm. It was about the size of a baseball.

"Whoa..." I reached out slowly to the small Gaster Blaster, cupping my hands under it and watching as it shimmered and shifted.

The skull design became that of a simple ear bud, missing the cord, there being a blue base and a black squishy thing as padding around the speaker. As if an ear bud this size could fit in anyone's ear.

*You made it your own.

The ear bud - I'd already decided on calling it a Beat Blaster - disappeared somewhere into my soul, and I looked back up to Asgore, who smiled, kneeling down in front of me.

"You are strong, young one." Asgore spoke, his deep yet humble voice reaching deep into my soul. "There is little I can offer that you do not already have."

"But, I will still give you all the strength that I have in my bones." Asgore reached out a hand, and I watched as he began to swirl into the forming upside down heart.

"Take my soul, and know that we all believe that you can do this."

The glowing, pure white light of Asgore's soul reflected in my emerald eyes, and slowly, skeptically, I reached out, cupping my hands under the soul of the King.

I brought it close to me, watching as my Human soul appeared in response to it's Monster other half, glowing red on my chest.

I gently pulled the soul closer, bringing it to my own, watching as it seamlessly slipped into my soul.

Just then, the void I stood in began to light up in white. So bright that I winced, reaching up and shielding my eyes with my forearm.

*It's time for your ascension, Angel.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open, skeptically winced after the blinding light I had just been covered by.

But, I was no longer in the void of my mind. I was sat in the King's throne at the center of his garden.

My back was straight, sitting with uncharacteristically perfect posture. I looked down in my lap, where my hands were delicately wrapped around the crown that Asgore once wore.

I would have been confused, but... Something inside of me was aware of what had happened. I felt... Strangely content. At peace with what was to come.

Feeling a warmth on my back, I pulled away from the back of the throne on which I was seated, cocking a brow at the pattern that was burnt onto the chair. I recognized it as the Delta Rune. The Angel's symbol.

Judging from the gentle and yet burning heat I felt on my back, I guessed that the symbol had burned from my flesh, and that the pattern was now engraved in my skin. This permanent mark, too, I felt at peace with.

"..." Slowly, I sat back in Asgore's-... My throne, my eyes drifting back to the crown.

*Your crown.

On the crown, there was a little note.

 _"We all believe in you! :D"_

 _\- Monster Kid_

Though it was quoted to Monster Kid, it was written in comic sans.

I didn't speak, for I had no words to convey the way I felt. I only lifted that crown, slowly bringing it down upon my head. For it felt like it was... What I had to do.

Footsteps.

I rested my elbow on the arm of my throne, leaning my chin on my fist and watching the doorway, my other hand's fingers tapping impatiently on the other arm of my throne.

The shadows writhed as evil crossed through them, even the darkness sickened by touching such a foul creature.

And, after another moment, they stepped from their darkness into my light. And there they stood, at the entrance to the room. Knife grasped in one hand, those ruby eyes dead set on me.

"So you finally made it." I spoke first, since they seemed keen on glaring silently. "Killed everybody who ever got in your way and then some. Well, everybody but me."

A gust of wind blew gently by, lifting their bangs over their face as they smiled, eyes unblinking.

"You've been pretty busy with all that. And, as I'm sure you can guess from this whole crown and throne thing I got goin' on, I've been pretty busy too." I smirked lightly, leaning back in my throne and letting my formerly propped up arm drop back onto it's arm rest.

They took a step forward, light reflecting in that knife of their's. I frowned, looking to the knife for a moment, peering into the reflection of my own eyes on the cold steel, before looking back to them.

"... Alright, look. I know fighting is like... Your whole ass deal." I sighed, slouching slightly. That crown tilted, leaning to the left side of my head. "And I know that's what you've always wanted outta me: a good fight."

"And don't get me wrong, I wanna tear your arms off." I said frankly, and they nodded, smirking lightly.

"Flowey relayed the message." They spoke. They certainly didn't sound like Frisk.

"Aww, did'ja get the kiss too?" I grinned lightly, tilting my head to the side.

"Surprisingly, Flowey didn't follow through on that one." They humored me, their smirk widening as I snapped my fingers in feigned disappointment.

"Well, as I was saying, you and me?" I pointed between them and I. "We don't have to do... This."

"So I'm giving you _one_ chance here." I leaned forward in my throne, frowning and narrowing my eyes at them. "Turn around, RESET, quite this murder child bullshit for good, or I'm gonna hurt you. Over and over again. For an eternity."

They took another step forward.

My jaw clenched.

"I'm serious, dude." I shook my head. "I don't believe all this destiny fated battle finale bullshit, alright?"

"I mean, look at me." I pointed over my shoulder. "I got the god damn Delta Rune branded on my back and the crown on my head. I'm sitting in the throne and _I'm_ telling _you_ that this is all nonsense."

"I've been through a lot to prepare for this moment, Chara." I sat up straight, leaning my head back slightly. "And the conclusion I've come to is that this is stupid. We can go back, forget this mess, and maybe we'll even be friends?"

"I don't want to be your friend." Chara frowned, eyes narrowing at me as they took another step forward. "I want to kill you."

"Honestly, I can't believe you, Cter!" They reached up, pinching the bridge of their nose and shaking their head. "I fight Grillby instead of Sans and he's hyping up some big final boss, and I come in here to find you sitting on the throne."

"And at first, you know, I was a little excited. You seemed so confident, I thought you'd really found a way to get stronger." They crossed their arms. "But after listening to that idiotic spiel of yours, I don't think you've gotten any more powerful! Clearly this is just some bluff!"

I sighed, reaching up and rubbing my eyes with my index finger and thumb.

"Chara, if you take another step forward, I'm retracting this olive branch and I'm kicking your ass." I let my hand drop into my lap, looking back to them and glaring through them, face reflecting nothing but apathy towards their calling of my 'bluff'.

"I dare you." They took another thoughtless step forward. "Honestly, the audacity! Wearing that crown, sitting on that throne... Do you even know what it all means?"

I smiled a big, genuine smile then. I once again rested my chin on my fist, and with my other hand I reached up, pressing my fingers together in preparation to snap.

"Why, a'course I do!"

The sound of my snap echoed through the room, and Chara's crimson eyes widened in shock as the air behind me was filled, one after the other, by Beat Blaster after Beat Blaster. They were each about the size of your average Gaster Blaster, and they were each pointed down at Chara, a glow beginning to shine in each blaster's speaker.

"It means I'm the King." The friendly tone dropped from my voice as I tilted my head to the side, that smile rising into a grin. I still held up the hand that I'd snapped with, the hand now open, as if preparing to order a volley.

 **"So kneel."**

I threw my hand down, the shine of my blasters igniting the room with white light as Chara, shock still in their wide eyes, managed to take a single step back before waves of white hot light fired through the air, closing the distance instantly and blasting into Chara and the wall behind them, completely engulfing them.

Chara exploded out through the wall, firing back across the smoldering Judgement Hall before crashing to the cracked tiles, skidding across them on their side before slamming back first into a fallen pillar, whiplashing their head back against the stone before they slumped over, hair falling over their face and blood trickling down over their forehead.

Slowly, they lifted their head, eyes focusing in first on the HP bar, which read 1/99. They looked over their HP bar then, watching as I placed both hands on the arms of my throne, slowly pushing myself to my feet, which thudded heavily to the floor with all the weight of the future that rested on my shoulders. Heavenly beams of light shun down through the shattered windows of the hall, the only thing standing between us.

I clenched my hands into fists, frown clear on my face as I began to walk towards them, reaching out and pressing the save point as I walked by it, not so much as slowing down as I saved, continuing forward.

Chara growled weakly, reaching up and putting a hand back on the pillar they'd smashed into, slowly struggling to push themself up to their feet, where they stumbled to the side, reaching out and pressing their own save point, their wounds healing and tears in their clothing sealing.

They looked up, narrowing their eyes as they watched me walk down the shattered hall towards them, not hesitating but not in any rush.

As I walked, I threw my left arm out to the side, and ink slid down my sleeve, shaping and hardening into a thin spear, each end coming to a sharp point.

"Remember that I gave you the option." I spat with a hateful venom.

 ***You feel like you may have inflicted upon yourself a crummy juncture.**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	7. Chapter 7: The Human Condition Part 1

**Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, Fixer140.85, Alrarora, Loyal Fan, Gray Kanzakai, Tbone8454, TacoTurd777, oceanole, welcometodalolz, istic, dbpeel, JaedDragon777, and UndeadKiller542.**

 **Now, to finally get to answering the questions about why I'm rewriting DoubleTale!**

 **So, to start, I know a lot of you really love DoubleTale. Throughout the, what, two years it was gone? I kept getting reviews. Many people said they would reread the entire story pretty often. But, the bottom line is, I was fifteen when I started that story. And I hadn't planned ahead for it at all. There was a lot of stuff that, at least to me, seemed a little too ridiculous and there was a lot of plans and backstory that I thought up when it was too late to implement it without causing serious continuity errors. There were plenty of arcs that I should have written out better, and a lot of scenes I should have described better. But back then, when I had a steady review flow, I would put less effort in. Hence why the Character arc wasn't described too well, and why I literally switched through three villains for the Predator/Gatherer/AnARChy arc before deciding on an antagonist. Since then I've broken that habit, and having more supporters pushes me to try even harder for you guys.**

 **But, the point is, I had big plans for DoubleTale. And in order to make them work the way I wanted them to, I had to rewrite the entire story. And it took me two years to come to terms with that. I don't hate the old DoubleTale, and I don't think it was a bad story. It's pieces jsut didn't fit the puzzle I wanted to put together.**

 **I hope that clears a few things up, and please enjoy the chapter! ^_^**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 ** _._._._A_n_g_e_l_._._._**

 _He would always swing so high. He felt the whoosh of air through his hair, his legs kicking out at the sky._

 ** _._._._A_n_g_e_l_._._._**

 _Honestly, sometimes it made him a little sad when he swung back down. He often thought of what it would be like to soar._

 ** _._._._A_n_g_e_l_._._._**

 _Sometimes... He wished that when he jumped from the swing set, he would sprout the wings given to his namesake. And that he could take off into the sky._

 ** _._._._A_n_g_e_l_._._._**

 _Truthfully, he wished he could fly away from this place._

 _"Angel!"_

 _"H-huh?!" He jumped, looking over to the boy that sat on the swing next to him, who was laughing lightly at him._

 _The boy was very pale, deeply contrasting the beautiful bright red of his irises, which gleamed like rubies in his eyes. Unmanaged, snow white hair fell over his forehead, and he had a band aid on his left cheek, just under his eye. He looked to be about eleven._

 _"Sorry Angel, didn't mean to scare you." The albino boy laughed, scratching the back of his head as his friend sighed, looking to be calming down. "You just didn't answer my question, is all."_

 _"Oh! Heh, sorry Anthony, I kinda zoned out." Angel's emerald eyes glanced to the side as he grinned sheepishly, digging his feet into the wood chips below him to slow his swing to a stop. He wore a blue, red striped hoodie that was too big for him, the sleeves covering his hands. He looked to be eleven as well. "Uh... What'ja ask again?"_

 _"What super power would you wanna have?" Anthony tilted his head to the side._

 _"Pff, that's an easy one." Angel smirked, looking up at the over cast._ _"Flight, hands down."_

 _"Huh? Why flight?" Anthony arched one white eyebrow._

 _"So I can fly anywhere in the whole world, duh." Angel said like it was obvious, smirking over at Anthony. "If I could fly, I could get outta this crummy city."_

 _"Anywhere in the whole world, huh..?" Anthony spoke quietly and thoughtfully, looking down at his feet._

 _"I might even take you with me, if ya ask nice." Angel winked an eye shut, grinning playfully._

 _Anthony laughed lightly at that, smiling over at Angel._

 _"I can't leave this place, Angel." Anthony waved a hand dismissively, speaking like the idea was silly. "Who'd take care of my mom?"_

 _"That stuff don't matter when you're flyin', Anny." Angel grinned up at the cloudy sky. "It's all yours up there."_

 _"Haha! Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this." Anthony smiled gently. "Would you at least come visit me?"_

 _"Well duh." Angel looked over to Anthony, closing his eyes and smiling wide._

 _"What kinda best friend would I be if I didn't?"_

 **Chapter 7: The Human Condition**

 **Part 1**

 _"Lying will get you nowhere."_

* * *

"Haha... Hahahaha..." Chara laughed to themself, reaching up and running a hand down their face.

"You know, I knew. I just knew." They smiled, looking quite amused as they pointed back to me. "I knew you had something."

I didn't say a word. I just watched them with narrowed eyes, that spear of ink clenched tight in my hand.

"But... This!" Chara let their jaw drop in surprise, lips curling up in a smile as they threw their arms out to the sides. "You really know how to throw a curve ball, Cter!"

"Shut up." My knuckles were going white. I could feel that same urge that I felt when I took their eye. It was odd... A burning desire.

Something like an itch.

*Scratch it.

"You were so pathetic before! Just... Weak and sniveling!" They shook their head, laughing. "And just look at you now!"

My jaw clenched, my green eyes narrowing hatefully at them.

"The loveless look in your eye... That cold expression." Their eyes grew dark, blackness seeping into the whites of their eyes as that smile crept further up their face, an inky black liquid beginning to salivate from their mouth.

 _ **"I knew you were a killer."**_

"Alright fuck this - hit the music!" I ordered as I jumped, spinning in air and yanking back that ink spear before launching it forward at a shocking speed towards Chara.

 _L's Theme Metal Remix_ by _Charlie Parra del Riego_ began playing as Chara watched that spear launch closer, bending at the knees before jumping over the spear, looking down and watching it sail by under them before their head snapped up, watching a six foot long pen fire through the air at them.

They quickly reached up, placing both hands atop the pen and flipping over it, falling back to the ground and landing on their feet before looking up, eyes widening at the giant eraser side of a pencil that was racing down towards them, large enough to turn them into a red splatter on the ground.

Chara dove to the side, rolling before skidding on two feet and one hand to the side, spinning their knife in their free hand before launching forward at me, a murderous red gleaming in their right eye as they closed the distance.

But as they raced forward, in the blink of an eye, a large computer key - the F key, to be exact - appeared directly in front of their face, too close to give them time to react.

"Gah!" They recoiled, face bouncing back off the F key, blood flinging from their nose, which had bent the wrong way.

As they managed to open one eye, they were shocked to see me, now crouched down in front of them, left hand hanging low.

"Press F to pay respects."

I threw up my hand then, ink firing from my sleeve in a spike and tearing through their chest in an instant, exploding out their back.

Chara's eyes widened, their legs giving out under them as they slumped forward. Blood splattered to the tiles under us, staining them crimson. The red liquid poured down the ink, running down to my sleeve, where it dropped down to the ground.

"H-hah... Hah..." Chara slowly reached out, gripping the ink spike, grinning down at me. "I k-knew you-"

I clenched my fist.

Spikes exploded out from the single ink spike going through their chest, blood spraying through the air, splattering across my face and the walls around us.

Shatter.

As the ink disappeared and they fell forward, I knelt down, opening my arms and catching their limp body.

"..." I sighed through my nose, frowning lightly as my eyes glossed down to the floor, not letting go of their corpse.

*Easy.

Flash.

"Reload one, give it up for reload one!" I reached up over my head as I sat back in my throne, clapping loudly. I mustered my slimiest, smuggest grin.

Chara just smirked as they began to saunter down the hall, that knife clutched in their hand. "Lucky shot."

"Ahh," I sighed as I hopped from my throne, pointing above my head as I began walking towards them. As I did so, ink began to rise from the ground around me, forming over my head. "Let's put it on the scoreboard, shall we?"

 **CTER: 1**

 **CHARA: 0**

Said the ink scoreboard.

"You ready to throw in the towel yet?" I cocked a brow, the scoreboard swirling from behind me as I walked forward, raising one arm, which all the ink was quickly sucked back into the sleeve of.

"After one death? Oh Cter, you have so much to learn about my persistence." That smirk widened into a grin as Chara pointed their knife out at me, the both of us coming to a stop about eight feet from one another, standing in the center of the rubbled Last Corridor.

"Ah, that's fine." I extended one hand out to them, letting my hand hang loosely, my palm facing upwards, as if I was offering them a hand.

They cocked a confused brow before suddenly ducking backwards, a spike of ink firing from my sleeve and just over their head, slicing through a few strands of hair and sending them drifting to the floor.

"I ain't got nowhere to be but here." I winked an eye shut, grinning that slimy grin as they looked back to me, ink whipping back away from them and up my sleeve.

"I appreciate your dedication." They grinned wide, blackness seeping into their eyes once more as they hunched forward, launching at me with lightning speed as they pulled back that blade.

As if it was second nature, I moved my head to the side, that evil steel sailing over my shoulder before I ducked as they slashed at my head, popping back up and stepping back away from a downward stab, Chara spinning their knife in their hand before lunging forward at me again, stabbing rapidly at me, only for me to duck, side step, or step back out of range of every stab, my hands remaining in my hoodie's pockets before I suddenly pulled up one foot, stomping down as Chara pulled back to stab again, a giant eraser instantly firing out at an angle from under where I'd stomped, lifting Chara high up into the air, sending them rocketing upwards in the blink of an eye on the giant eraser.

They knelt down, placing one hand on the mistake remover that was attempting to remove them, looking up to find another eraser crashing down towards them, looking to splat them between the two like a bug between a child's hands.

They front flipped forward, sliding down the pencil that the first eraser was connected to, reaching one hand into the air and making a revolver appear in it, before taking aim down on me, rapidly firing bolts of red.

I lifted one hand from my pocket, throwing it directly upwards. A wall of keys appeared before me with the motion of my hand, the bullets denting in the keys just before Chara kicked in through the wall, flinging down at me. I stepped to the side, and they landed next to me, crouching for only a moment to catch themselves before swinging up at me with one tough glove, making me duck backwards while I reached back with one hand, my sleeve suddenly bulking out around the arm sized led pencil that formed in it.

I whipped my arm upwards, placing it on Chara's chest for a split second before a loud thunk resounded, an arm length stick of led firing from the mechanical pencil in my sleeve and jabbing through Chara's chest, sending them flinging back across the hall, before they were pinned to a pillar, their head and limbs whiplashing back before slumping forward.

I began walking towards them, watching as they reached up with shaking hands to grip the graphite chunk that pinned them gruesomely to the pillar, blood pouring down from their body to the floor below them.

They looked up to me, teeth gritting as they strained to hold onto their life, throwing one arm out to the side and once again summoning that revolver, a savage rage in their eye as they took am on me.

BANG.

CLANG.

Chara's arm dropped down, limp, dropping that gun and letting it crash to the tiles, where it bounced.

"..." I sighed, closing my eyes as I slowly lowered my arm, the pencil disappearing from my sleeve.

Chara's head was tilted back, hair falling over their eyes. Blood streamed down from the hole in their forehead, which had a bolt of graphite sticking out from it, having gone through their skull and pinned the back of their head to the pillar behind them as well.

Shatter.

"Alright, two kills..." I looked down, watching my red soul fade back into my chest. "I don't... Feel different? At least, I don't think I do."

*You'll be feeling better after a few more.

Flash.

"That's two zip, my buddy friend guy pal amigo." I rested my chin on my fist, slouching to the side in my throne as I winked an eye shut at them. "You gonna quit or are you going for three?"

"I think you know the answer to that question." Chara wore that same confident smirk that I'd come to associate them with.

"S'fine." I once again hopped off my throne, cracking my knuckles and tilting my head to the left until I heard my neck pop while I closed my eyes.

"I prefer odd numbers, anyway."

I snapped my fingers then, eyes widening as ink spiraled up high into the air from the tiles behind me, swirling into fine points before launching down at Chara, who threw their arm up, pointing that six shooter and firing with rapid percision, bullets of red blasting through six spikes before Chara back flipped, the remaining spikes stabbing through the ground where they once were.

Chara landed on their feet, skidding back before darting forward, that gun being replaced by their knife, which they held out to the side.

The ground beneath us shook, giant platform sized computer keys rising beneath us, lifting me high into the air and creating a staircase of platforms reaching up towards me.

I watched with cold eyes and crossed arms as they jumped from platform to platform, before on their fourth jump, a wall of pens erupted from the earth and between the two platforms, Chara growling with irritation as they lifted their feet, kicking against the wall and pushing back off of it, back flipping back onto the platform.

At the sound of something whistling through the air, they quickly looked over their shoulder, watching as giant paper airplanes launched down the destroyed hall towards them.

"Paper airplanes? Really?" Chara shook their head, before ducking down, darting forward and under one airplane, stabbing up with their knife and running it through the plane, cutting it in half before reaching the end of the key platform and jumping high into the air, latching onto the bottom of an airplane and flipping onto the top of it.

As the paper airplane flew towards the wall of pens, they reached down, gripping the edges of the wings and wincing as the steel-like edges sliced into their palms before they pulled up on the plane, changing it's course and sending it sailing over the wall of pens and up the key staircase towards me.

As Chara ascended, however, Beat Blasters appeared in an X around them, and they quickly rolled off the side of their paper airplane, falling and landing on one knee as white light flashed in an X high above them.

At the four corners of the key that they stood on ink spiraled up, forming four humanoid, featureless creatures, their arms ending in blades and their legs coming to points.

As the ink figures lurched forward, legs turning to liquid so that they could glide across the key at a shocking speed, Chara darted forward at one, ducking the sloppy slices from it's blade arms and cutting it in half with their knife, sending it splattering into a puddle beneath them. But as they turned to face the other three ink figures, the puddle below them writhed and bubbled, and they jumped back, throwing up their arms in an X as spikes launched from the puddle, slicing through their forearms and sending blood flying through the air, making them wince and clench their jaw.

They landed on their feet, reaching back before their frying pan appeared in hand, and they swung forward, splattering the ink figure in front of them before darting forward, swatting away spikes from the puddle of the first figure.

They ran low to the ground, ducking under the slash from one of the remaining figures and crashing through it's chest with their frying pan, sending ink splattering back through the air while they drew their pistol, firing six rounds through the last remaining figure.

They raced towards the end of the key platform, front flipping to avoid the ink spikes that launched at their heels, landing on one hand and springing high into the air, above the platform that I stood on.

As they fell towards me, they brought that knife over their head, their other weapons disappearing back into their inventory.

THUNK.

Blood flew through the air, and they snarled as their shoulder jerked forward, a spike of graphite having been fired from a lead pencil floating behind them and having torn through their shoulder.

They landed with a stumble, slashing down at me, only for me to side step it, ducking backwards under a follow up stab before ink fired from my feet, making Chara jump back away and slash away the spikes before they landed, skidding back and launching forward at me again.

I ducked forward this time, pulling back one fist and sending it crashing into their abdomen, making their eyes widen and the air burst out of their mouth from their lungs, before I spun around them, placing a hand on their back as ink fired from my sleeve, slamming into them and sending them launching over the platform, the tendril of black wrapping around their midsection.

Grunting, I yanked my arm up over my head, the ink wrapped around them pulling them up high into the air above, before I threw my arm down, sending them racing down towards the center of the key.

The key shattered to pieces under the force, and as we both plummeted down towards the ground, the ink holding them rapidly receded, sending them racing up towards me.

I grabbed them by the collar of the shirt, their eyes widening in shock while mine flared with fury as I pulled one hand up over my head, ink swirling and beginning to shape in my palm.

I needed a tool. Something to hurt them, to kill them. It didn't matter what. Just whatever weapon my brain first associated with violence.

In the next instant, I gripped tightly the handle of the inky black crowbar that formed in my palm, the ground rapidly approaching as I roared, swinging down and sending the imitation of cruel steel smashing into their face, shattering their skull and sending them exploding head first into the tiles, exploding through the floor and sending dust blasting up around us.

Shatter.

Panting, I slowly climbed back to my feet, clutching that tool in my hand tightly as the dust settled around me.

And as the adrenaline faded, I reached up with my free hand, expression softening as I touched the crimson liquid that had splattered across my face.

What had I hit them with that would make their head... Just...

Slowly, I lifted my weapon, head turning to inspect it's form.

My emerald eyes widened, pupils shrinking in horror.

 _"O-oh, the black eye? Well, you know how clumsy I am, haha! Just tripped and fell face first into the corner of a wall! Pretty dumb of me, huh Angel?"_

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Everything seemed to fade from existence, the only thing left being me and that crowbar and the memories screaming in my head.

 _"D-don't touch that! T-that's... Mother's crowbar. S-she uses it to... F-fix things, w-when they don't work like they should... C-come on, w-we really shouldn't be here! M-mother really, really doesn't like having guests..."_

Make it stop.

I don't want to think about this.

Make it stop!

 _Squish._

Slowly, my eyes drifted down to what - or who - I'd stepped in.

Brain matter. Chunks of bone. I'd crushed their skull, sent their head exploding into chunks, blood pouring over the ground beneath my feet.

All with this...

All with _his_...

 ** _"Angel? Doesn't ring a bell. Get lost."_**

"AAAAHHH!" I screamed, throwing that ink crowbar across the hall and sending it splattering across the stone of the wall as stumbled back, falling onto my butt and into the pool of blood at my feet.

Rapidly hyperventilating, I lifted one hand from the red puddle I was splashing in, hand trembling as I stared at the ruby shade it was painted with.

I screamed again, pulling myself back from the limp corpse with my hands, kicking it and sending it rolling away.

I scurried back until I felt my back hit a wall, and proceeded to yank my hood up over my head, yanking the sides of my unzipped hoodie over my abdomen and curling one arm around my torso, placing the other over my head, as if trying to hide myself away from the world.

Something was wrong.

The air felt off.

I didn't feel like I was alone, and I slowly pulled my knees up to my chest, eyes glancing around the room, before locking on to the red text of an unfamiliar text box that appeared before me.

 ***Got something to be afraid of, Cter? =)**

Flash.

Snarling, I threw my hand forward, pens appearing at the sides of my throne and firing from the throne room down the hall at Chara, who easily ducked and dodged between them.

"Quite the outburst over an ink crowbar and a dead body." They wore that confident smile as they sauntered down the hall, shadows writhing around them. "Though I will admit, you never seemed like the bash someone's skull in kind of person to me."

"You were dead." Was all I said, hopping off my throne with a clear frown on my face and a clear motive in my step as I stomped down the hall to meet them halfway.

"Frisk was dead." They shrugged with their correction, smirk remaining. "I was just without a host for a minute or two."

"So that's how it works, huh?" I narrowed my eyes, the two of us coming to a stop at the center of the hall. "I just can't get rid of you, can I?"

"Not until one of us stops coming back." Their smile widened from ear to ear, and that blackness seeped into the white of their eyes. "And it's not gonna be me."

"Bold words from the one with zero kills." I smirked in the face of those monstrous eyes.

"I've killed thousands of times." They frowned in minor irritation. "Don't get cocky because you've killed me thrice."

"... I've destroyed people to get ahead before." My expression grew cold then, lifting one hand and showing the inky blackness that swirled in my palm and around my fingers. "You aren't gonna be any different, doesn't matter how many times you come back."

They smiled wide at that, that black goo running over from between their teeth, dripping down their chin.

"There's the cold, sociopath eyes I missed!" They darted forward then, pulling that knife out to the side and swiping at me with it, only for me to jump, landing behind them as my sweatshirt writhed momentarily before ink fired from my back at lightning speed.

Chara spun around, rapidly slashing away the pointed tendrils of ink before jumping back, pens launching from the earth where they'd just been. They darted to the side, several more pens firing from above and embedding themselves in the ground where Chara had just stood.

Chara lunged forward then, stabbing forward at me only for me to step to the side, turning to face them as they skidded to a stop, looking over their shoulder at me with one glowing right eye before pulling up their other arm, swinging back to point that gun at me.

Keys appeared in a wall between us just as they pulled the trigger, and I watched dents form in the magic plastic with a blank expression before the keys launched forward, Chara throwing up both of their weapons and letting them disappear back into their inventory before they brought their hands together, their burnt frying pan appearing in their grasp before they swung down, slamming their weapon into the keys and skidding back on the balls of their feet before they grunted, pushing forward and smashing through the keys with their frying pan.

Just as they got through the wall, however, they were greeted with the burning light of three charging Beat Blasters, and just as they went to move out of the way, they felt ink rapidly coil around their ankles, locking them in place.

They looked down with wide eyes to the tendrils gripping tightly onto their legs, before the roar of the blasters made them look back up, that white light flashing over them.

Shatter.

My eyes followed their charred corpse as it fell to the ground, and I waited a moment or two - even after watching their soul shatter - before I sighed, reaching up and rubbing my eyes with my index finger and thumb.

*Strip out your weaknesses, or they will destroy you.

"Chara or my problems?" I cocked a brow at the text box before me.

*Yes.

Flash.

"It's so very interesting, isn't it?" Chara smirked as they sauntered down the hall, and I just shook my head, crossing my legs casually in my throne.

"Nah, not really." I shrugged, making them squint irritably at me.

"You don't even know what I'm talking about." Chara frowned, and I grinned.

"Yeah, because I'm not _interested_." I made two finger guns at them, winking an eye shut.

"..." Chara simply lifted their hand, that revolver appearing in their grasp before they aimed it out at me. "I'm going to start shooting at you now."

I made a heart with my hands at them, before a swirling wall of ink rose from the flowers at my feet, catching the rapid fire of six bullets before launching outwards at Chara.

Chara's gun shifted to that knife, and they slashed ink tendril after ink tendril to puddles at their feet, before I reached out with my left hand, sleeve writhing with ink before another tendril fired at lightning speed down the hall at them.

"As I was," Chara moved their head to the side, ink firing over their shoulder as the tentacle from my sleeve stabbed into the back wall of the hall, yanking me forward and sending me flying towards Chara as I yanked back one leg in preparation to kick. "Saying!"

"Everyone else," Chara ducked under my kick as I was dragged rapidly through the air at them, my leg sailing over their head before I spun, landing on the ground behind them and spinning to face them. "I got to be best friends with them before killing them!"

Chara darted forward, pulling back that knife and stabbing at my head, only for me to move my head to the side. Their blade stabbed over my shoulder before they slashed at my head, and I ducked under their arm, popping up behind them.

"I already knew everything about them! But you," Chara spun around to face me, before jumping into the air, pens firing like spikes from the earth below them. They held that knife high above their head, plummeting down towards me. "This is the first time you and I have had the chance to really talk!"

"Tell ya what." I jumped back, Chara's slash cutting only air as they landed on one knee, immediately dashing forward at me, pulling that knife to their side.

"You RESET and start a pacifist run right now," I jumped their stab, front flipping over them and crouching down as they instantly spun around, slashing right over my head before I popped back up, swinging my head back and slamming the back of it into their face, making them stumble back. "And I'll tell ya everything there is to know about me."

Chara growled in pain, stumbling back and grabbing their face, blood dripping down their chin from their now bleeding nose, their eyes darting to me while I spun around to face them.

"Everything there is to know, huh..?" They smirked lightly as they lowered their hand, wiping their blood onto their sleeve.

"Right down to my real name." I smirked lightly, hands buried in my jacket pockets.

"Wait, Cter isn't your real name?" They expression contorted with confusion, and I snerked.

"What kinda moron would look at a baby and say "I'll name him Cter!"?" I tilted my head to the side. "I just made the name Cter up on the fly."

"Hmph." They smirked, eyes narrowing. "So I don't even know your actual name, and you're still my favorite."

"Feeling's not mutual. You're kind of a dick." I shrugged casually. "So are you gonna take me up on that offer or not?"

"You expect me to throw away an entire run just to get to know you better?" They tilted their head to the side. "Are you really that arrogant?"

"You _did_ say I was your favorite." I winked an eye shut with my smirk. "I'm just offering you something that I know you want: something new."

"This already is something new, Cter." Chara held their arms out to their sides. "Can't you see how big of a deal this is for me?"

"I mean, look at the impact you've had just by existing here!" Their face lit up in manic joy. "The fight with Papyrus! The extra interactions throughout Waterfall! The fight with Grillby, and now _this_! Now _you_!"

My eyes narrowed, a frown crossing my face.

"You know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for you? I'd have just killed Sans, Asgore, and Flowey and would be restarting the world to do it all over again." Arms still out at their sides, they scoffed, closing their eyes and shaking their head. "So repetitive."

"Then stop doing it." I interjected, hands clenching into fists.

"But now I don't _have_ to!" Their eyes snapped open wide, grin cutting up their face. "Don't you see?! You just made this game so much more interesting for me!"

"Did you honestly think it would scare me, Cter? The thought of fighting you for all eternity?!" That evil blackness seeped into their blood red eyes, swirling around their irises before beginning to overflow down their cheeks.

"ETERNITY IS NOTHING IN THE FACE OF AN IMMORTAL GOD!"

STAB.

Expression still reflecting glee, their head slowly tilted down to look at the spike of ink that had fired up through their back and out their chest, crimson beginning to overflow from their mouth.

"Ha... H-ha..."

The spike shot back into the ground as quickly as it had shot out, and I watched as they stumbled, struggling to stay on their feet before falling backwards onto the ground, coughing and choking on their own blood.

"Immortal, huh?" Shadow fell over my eyes as I walked up to them, lifting one shoe and planting it firmly on their gaping chest wound, making them cough globs of crimson into the air, reaching up with shaking hands and grabbing at my ankle. "You die pretty easy for me."

"God?" I leaned forward, bending the knee of the leg that was on them and leaning one elbow across it, staring down at them. "You don't look too heavenly."

They just continued to smile, blood pouring down from both nostrils and from between their lips as they reached up with one shaky, blood stained hand towards my face.

"So... Very... Interesting..."

As their hand grew close to my face, and it looked like they were about to cup my cheek, I reached up, roughly grabbing their hand and squeezing their fingers together, my eyes narrowing hatefully down at them.

"Don't touch me." I ordered sternly, and I watched as they smiled a little wider, before their eyes sunk back into their heads, rolling back before the lids closed over those dim, ruby irises.

Shatter.

"..." I dropped their hand, pushing myself back to my full height and staring down at their corpse.

 ***You're the only deity here.**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	8. Chapter 8: The Human Condition Part 2

**Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, welcometodalolz, Alrarora, Reaper4425, a random idiot, NBoss01, Chara Moonstone, TrueUndertrash, and Allagenda-domsizers-chan.**

 **To answer your question, a random idiot, that is an interesting idea, but I'm choosing to stick with it working how it works in game, meaning his EXP is set back with every reload. Thanks for asking though! ^^**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"Reload a hundred thirty seven! Give it up for reload a hundred thirty seven!" I reached up over my head as I clapped, watching the slithering shadows at the other end of the hall with utmost confidence.

"Lets consult the score board, shall we?" I lifted one finger, but before ink could manifest my kill count and their death count, a voice echoed down the hallway.

 _"Hacky..."_

My emerald eyes widened at the sound that crashed into my ears.

In the blink of an eye, like a simple switch in frame, the hallway was black and white. Sunlight no longer shun through the shattered windows. Instead, a black gunk oozed through the frames, splattering down onto the grey floor.

"Who... Who's there?!" I called out into the writhing darkness, footsteps crashing down somewhere I could not see, reverberating down this hall.

 _"I know what you did..."_

The flowers around me were dying. I tried to sit up from my throne, but I could not.

"Show yourself!" I shouted, attempting to gather my nerve, despite the cold sweat that was running down my forehead.

Piercing red eyes froze my soul.

Memories flooded my brain.

The hall was narrow and windowless.

I was standing.

The floor was carpeted, and...

Wet.

"No matter where you go, kid." Pale hands fell over my paralyzed body, reaching up and covering my left eye with one hand, the other over my mouth.

I couldn't scream. I couldn't struggle. I was paralyzed.

"You aren't gonna escape it. You aren't gonna escape _me_." The man grinned, his hands slowly sliding to the sides of my head.

"Take a look, brat. Look at what happens when you act so god damn WEAK!"

I struggled against the powerful hands pushing my head down to look at the blood pool at my feet, but to no avail.

I was forced to look at the corpse.

At her.

She was laying on her stomach. Her hand was reached out, as if it had been desperately grasping for life.

And, oh god, her face...

She stared up at me with one wide, lightless eye. That eye would haunt me. It had for years now. It had bore a hole in my very being. It screamed at me when things got quiet. It stared at me when things were dark.

She looked like she had been so scared. I wasn't there. She had been so afraid.

I wasn't there.

I felt tears building in my eyes, spilling over, like the blood that spilled from her body. That splattered across the walls. That soaked into the carpet.

"THIS! This is what happens when you act like one of THEM!" He let go of my head, wrapping one arm around my neck and pulling me to his chest. He was taller than me. He loomed over me. I was a child compared to him.

I was a child.

I clawed desperately at the arm choking my neck, kicking my legs uselessly as I was lifted off the ground.

"Stop pretending to be someone you're not!" He held out a knife in front of us, the blade pointing back towards us.

I shook my head, tears pouring from my purple face as I desperately struggled for life.

"STOP PRETENDING TO BE LIKE _HER_ WHEN YOU'RE LIKE _ME_!"

I shot up, gasping for breath. I grabbed the chest of my shirt, clutching it between my fingers. My green eyes were wide as I heaved for air, sweat beading down my face.

Slowly, my eyes glossed over my surroundings, though things were still a little blurry.

Judgement Hall. Or, what was left of it, anyway.

There were still a few small fires every now and again, along with pens stuck within several fallen pillars. Every now and again one would find a splatter of ink on a wall or the ground.

"Eugh..." I reached up, rubbing my eyes as my other hand let go of my shirt, dropping to my side.

"... I wish you weren't so fuckin' crazy." I smiled weakly to my side, where they lay, limp.

From the three holes in their chest blood had stopped oozing, and under them was a puddle of ink, the spikes that had cleaved through them having fallen back into said puddle after piercing their heartless chest.

"You're not gonna win like this."

Flowey let out an "Eep!" as ink fired from my hood, the spike stopping centimeters from his face as I turned to look at him.

"And you're gonna get yourself killed if you startle me like that again." I squinted, watching as Flowey gulped.

"P-point taken..." His beady little eyes darted to the side, and the ink receded back into my hood before he looked back to me.

"Now, whaddaya want?" I leaned back on my hand, cocking a brow at Flowey. "I'm sure you don't wanna square up."

"Far from it." Flowey's eyes narrowed hatefully, and he looked past me to the corpse that I'd slept next to moments ago. "I'm here to give you advice on how to kill that little traitor!"

"Ah." I smirked lightly, nodding. "Reasonably miffed after they tried to cut ya, huh?"

"How did you..?" Flowey squinted up at me, and I waved a hand dismissively.

"It would take me a real long time to explain. Go on with what you were saying?" I asked politely, though the ink that slithered between my fingers was a bit more demanding.

"You're hard to place, Cter The Hacker." Flowey smiled lightly, eyes still narrowed. "One minute you're threatening to rip Chara's arms off and when the time comes, you hold back."

My expression hardened at the flower's words, but I continued to listen.

"I know you aren't a coward Cter, and I know you aren't weak." Flowey's expression grew demonic, his eyes shrinking to black dots and that smile curling on his lips. "I can see you've got a killer inside you."

"You might be able to resist death, but unless you let out that murderer you're keeping chained up, you won't be able to win."

I turned away from Flowey, pushing to my feet, Flowey smirking up at my back as I began walking away.

"... You're doing it for him, aren't you?"

I paused. My hair shadowed my eyes.

"You don't want this to end with him seeing you as a different person. You don't want your best friend to see you like he sees _them_." Flowey nodded towards the corpse that I stood next to.

"..."

I continued walking away.

"But you can't become what you already _are_ , Cter."

A vine launched from the broken tiles, wrapping around my wrist and making me pause and glance down at it, eyes shadowed and frown clear on my face.

"If anyone knows just how _evil_ humans really are, it's me, Flowey the Flower!"

I didn't move, even as more vines crept from the tiles, slowly wrapping around my body.

"So QUIT the act, Cter Hacker." He was on my back now, connected to the many vines wrapping around my body.

"Stop trying to be COMPASSIONATE when you're COLD. Stop trying to be SWEET when you're SOUR. Stop trying to be KIND when you're a KILLER, and stop acting so WEAK when you're STRONG!"

I could feel it again.

That burning itch.

The desire to hurt that I viciously swallowed each time it came back up.

"You aren't like the rest of these idiots, Cter, so stop acting like it." Flowey grinned as he spoke into my ear, darkness overtaking his expression.

 ** _"Stop trying to be the Angel that they want, when you're already the Cter that they need."_**

Flash.

 **Chapter 8: The Human Condition**

 **Part 2: The Promise**

 _"C'mon, you know I'm not the bad guy here."_

* * *

"Took ya long enough." Smirking, I winked an eye shut, resting my chin on my fist, my arm propped up on the arm rest of my throne.

"Go on, throw up the scoreboard." Chara grinned, sauntering down the destroyed hall. "I wanna see how quick I'm catching up."

*Rip. Tear.

There was a certain gleam in my eye as I pointed to the sky, ink rising behind me and forming the scoreboard.

 **CTER: 90**

 **CHARA: 47**

"Wow, it really shows how much you're slipping, Cter." Chara's right eye shun with malice, shadows casting over the left side of their face as they walked past one of the few standing pillars.

*Bite. Claw.

It itched. That's all I could think about as I tapped my fingers on the arm rest of my chair, watching them step closer and closer, ever arrogant.

"Honestly, how much longer do you think you can keep this up?" They scoffed, shaking their head. "You've already started to falter, how do you expect to fend me off for all eternity?"

*Crush. Smash.

My fingers tapped even faster, and they narrowed their eyes at me.

"... Are you ignoring me?" They frowned, jaw clenching in a sudden irritation.

"... You're right." I spoke finally, and their face expressed further confusion. "I am slipping."

Chara smirked lightly, but as they opened their mouth to speak, I spoke first.

"It's all I've been thinking about lately." I pushed myself from my throne, feet crashing silently to the ground.

They frowned once more as I spoke, now choosing to listen instead of running their mouth any longer.

"Chara, I was a very different person before I came to this place. Did you know that?" I smiled sweetly then, my fingers curling into fists as I began to walk towards them. "I was a lot... Stronger."

*Something is wrong.

Chara's eyes narrowed at their text box, before darting back up to me, my footsteps echoing down the destroyed hall.

"Yeah... Strength. It's really such a... Genuine concept." My eyes were only half open, that smile growing more sadistic as I tilted my head to the side, shadows slipping over my face momentarily as I walked past a pillar.

"What are you rambling about?" Chara finally interjected, growling with aggravation and anticipation.

My smile faded, that joy disappearing from my face and kindness from my eyes as quickly as it had came. My arms dropped to my sides, and my shoulders sank.

"... Ah, never mind." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"... Say."

Chara watched me carefully, standing ready as I, the King of Monsters and a demi-god among men - as if such stupid titles mattered - opened my eyes, and pierced emerald through their soul.

"Do _you_ know the truth, Chara? Could you ever _possibly_ understand?" I tilted my head to the side, arching a brow at them thoughtfully, desperate to hear their answer.

They said nothing, only lifting their arm and pointing that blade out at me. The blade that shun with malice and despair.

*False idol.

That grimy, devilish smirk crept up my face once more as I slouched forward, burying my hands in my pockets. I began to chuckle. Then to laugh. Then to cackle, and then to wheeze.

Chara's jaw clenched, their knuckles whitening around the handle of their blade.

"Ha! Haha..! Ahh..." I shook my head, my laughter slowing to a stop as I reached up, wiping a tear from my eye before looking down, laughing for another moment or two.

And as I lifted my head to look at them, shadows slipping over my face, my left eye gleamed with malice.

And I smiled.

 **"Right back to it, then."**

Ink fired from under them, their eyes widening at the shocking speed of it all.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion to Chara as they looked into their own eye in the reflection of that knife, which was still clutched in their hand even as it flew through the air, dismembered from their arm, blood spraying by.

And as their eyes drifted from their own horrified eye in the knife that so many others had stared into in their final moments, they found me, crouched down in front of them, one open palm pulled back, staring up at them with soulless eyes and an honest smile.

And time sped back up as I rammed my palm into their abdomen, air firing up from their lungs and out of their open mouth along with globs of saliva, just before ink launched from my sleeve, blasting into their body and sending them firing back down the hall, the ink wrapping around them.

Chara looked over their shoulder at the rapidly approaching wall, eyes going bloodshot as they struggled to get air back in their lungs, ink crushing their sternum. But just as they clenched their eyes shut and braced for impact, I yanked my arm back, and their head whiplashed backwards, ink receding into my sleeve and quickly dragging them back towards me.

I extended my free arm, forming a fist before ink swirled up around my hand, forming a spike of inky black.

STAB.

Chara's mouth hung open, blood running off their tongue and down their chin, their choked and bloodshot eyes wide in pain and surprise.

Ink receded back up my sleeve, leaving me with my bare arm piercing Chara's chest. Chara managed to clench their jaws shut, arms hanging limp at their sides as they desperately attempted to form fists.

I leaned in real close then, grinning in amusement at their pathetic expression.

"In the infinitely wise words of The Rock," I spoke calmly, before pulling away, lifting one leg and placing a foot on what was left of their abdomen.

"Know your role, and shut your mouth."

I booted them off my fist, sending their body tumbling pathetically to the ground.

Shatter.

Flash.

"Want me to bring up the scoreboard now, asshat?" I cocked a brow at Chara, who's eyes narrowed at me as they stepped from the shadows.

"Lucky shot." Chara frowned at my little grin.

"Yeah, yeah, super lucky..." I nodded my head in agreement, speaking in a contemplative tone as I looked down, resting my chin on my fist thoughtfully.

"Hey, quick word of advice though!" I quickly looked back to them, snapping and making a finger gun at them with the hand I'd been resting my chin on. With the click of my tongue, I pointed over their head.

"Watch out for the space bar."

Chara's eyes darted upwards, widening at the rapidly dropping, giant space bar that's shadow was falling over them.

"Shi-!"

Splat.

Shatter.

Flash.

"Reload a hundred forty! Give it up for reload a hundred forty!" I clapped obnoxiously loud, smirking as they stomped back down towards me. "Didn't even have to get up for that one. Maybe _you're_ slippin', Char-bear."

"Piss off." Chara smirked lightly, their eyes remaining narrowed as their hand gripped that knife tightly.

"Should I hit the music, or are you gonna die too early for it to matter?" I tilted my head to the side, the both of us smirking maliciously.

"Just play the damn song, Cter."

 _L's Theme Metal Remix_ began playing as I stood from my throne, cracking my knuckles.

In the next instant, I ducked, their knife slicing through the air just above my head before I quickly swung my head back up, crashing the back of my skull into their chin and making Chara bite their tongue and recoil, eyes wincing shut in pain.

I swung my head back even after hitting them with it, leaning back as I swiftly brought up one leg, planting a firm kick in their chest and throwing them back through the air, their eyes snapping open in pain as the wind was knocked from their lungs.

They flipped back in air, landing on their feet and one hand before darting to the side, pens erupting from the earth where they'd been.

Chara slid to the side on the tiles, eyes only glancing to the pens they'd avoided for a split second as they gripped their chest in pain before glancing up at the sound of energy gathering.

Chara quickly back flipped, beam from a Beat Blaster firing and obliterating the tiles where they'd stood moments ago as they flipped their knife around in their hand so that the blade was pointing up, bending at the knees as the light from the beam died down, watching giant paper airplanes race through the smoke towards them.

They swiftly slashed to and fro, cutting down airplane after airplane before jumping forward, narrowly dodging the giant eraser that smashed into the earth behind them as they raced forwards towards me. They darted from side to side, dodging between the enormous erasers that were slamming down around them, shaking the hall.

They jumped into the air, yanking back that knife and snarling as they stabbed forward at me, only for me to duck under their blade, cocking back one fist as I popped up at their side, slamming a right hook into their cheek and sending them sailing towards the wall, blood flinging from between their lips.

They spun in air, landing on their feet and skidding back, gritting their teeth in pain as blood ran down their chin before they collided back first with the wall, making them wince.

But just as Chara pushed off the wall and began to dart forward at me, ink tendrils fired from the walls around them, wrapping around their arms and legs and yanking them back against the wall, which they slammed into with an audible "Oof!"

Snarling, they tugged at the ink restraining them, more seeping from the wall they were trapped against and oozing over them, encasing them until only their angry little head could be seen.

And they looked _pissed_.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat as I walked closer to them, twirling one finger down at the ground, making ink seep from the earth and form a chair, which I promptly sat in, slouching and staring up at them, shoving my hands into my pockets.

"... You must think this is real entertaining, huh?" Chara squinted angrily at me.

"Eh, just a tad." I shrugged, leaning my head back over the back of my chair and staring up at the ceiling in thought.

"You wanna talk entertaining though," I looked back to them, snapping and pointing a finger gun at them. "Pokemon."

"... What?" Chara looked utterly baffled, tilting their head to the side.

"Maaaannnn I used to play the shit outta those games. Was like, my whole ass childhood." I smiled lightly at the memories.

"... Cter-"

"Favorite games were Black and White, hands down." I nodded thoughtfully as I explained.

"Cter-"

"A lotta people didn't like those games though. Got butt hurt because it was all new Pokemon?" I shrugged with confusion. "But that's what made it like twenty times more interesting to me?"

"Cter-!"

"I dunno, people get mad over the stupidest shit sometimes." I shook my head. "Like, there was this one time with my buddy An-"

"CTER!"

"..." I paused, slowly cocking one confused eyebrow at them. "... Yes?"

"What the FUCK are you talking about?!" Chara snapped irritably, struggling in vain in their inky prison.

"What, you never play Pokemon?" I cocked a brow, lifting one hand and opening my palm. Ink swirled up my sleeve, gathering in my palm and hardening into what looked to be an all black Pokeball. "Like, with these?"

"WHY are you talking about Pokemon right now?!" They snarled, rage flaring in their eyes. This made me begin to snicker.

"Just makin' conversation, geez." I slouched back in my seat once more, crossing my arms and looking to the side, trying to hide my growing grin.

"..." Chara glared at me for another moment, before beginning to flail under that ink, growling and snarling. "Let me out of here!"

I looked to consider, before my eyes glossed over to the rock hard ball of ink in my hand, and I gripped my chin in thought.

"... Cter."

I stood from my ink chair, beginning to stretch. I reached my right arm to the left, and then my left arm to the right.

"... Cter what are you doing?"

I reached down to touch my left toes with my right arm, and then my right toes with my left.

"Cter you better not be thinking about what I think you're thinking about."

I stood up straight, bringing that ink pokeball to my chest and taking up a sort of pitcher's stance, squaring my feet.

"Don't you dare, Cter."

I slowly pulled my left arm back, pretending to pitch the ink ball at their head two or three times, practicing the motions.

"Cter so help me god if you kill me with that thing!"

I pulled my arms back to my chest, pulling up one leg to the side of my other leg and preparing to pitch my fast ball.

"I WILL RAIN FURY DOWN UPON Y-"

"Go, Charizard!"

CRACK.

Shatter.

Flash.

I cackled with laughter, slapping my knee and hunching over, tears of joy building in my eyes.

The sound of them stomping through the shadows to reach me was followed by several loud bangs, and in my hysterical laughter I threw up one arm, a wall of computer keys appearing between me and them and blocking the rain of DETERMINATION bullets.

Roaring with anger, Chara was quick to smash through the wall of keys with their frying pan, diving at me as that frying pan was swapped out for that knife, and they slashed at my head, only for me to duck, the back half of my throne being diagonally sliced clean through and sliding to the ground, where it crashed onto the flowers.

"Got a hell of a fastball, don't I?" I winked an eye shut, grinning up at them as they now stood over me, their feet planted on the large seat of the throne, one hand on what remained of the back of my throne and the other pulling their knife back into the air. "Maybe if you'd taken a little more time to listen to my backstory, you'd of learned I was one hell of a pitcher."

"Shut up!" Chara snarled, stabbing down at me, only for a key to form like a shield over my arm as I swung up, brushing their blade aside just before a pyramid of pens fired out around my throne, Chara jumping back out of range and landing in the doorway into the Judgement Hall, flipping their knife back around so that the blade was facing up and glaring angrily at me as the pens at my sides fell back into the ground, and I pushed myself to my feet once more.

"Always running to the slaughter, Chara." I shook my head, reaching up and snapping my fingers, Beat Blasters appearing at my sides. "What did I ever do to provoke you so?"

"Quit running your mouth." They spat with venom, eyes narrowing at me.

I smiled.

 _ **"Or what?"**_

* * *

"Eugh..." CORE Frisk muttered to themself, lifting the severed skeletal hand that they held by the index finger up to their face as they walked, squinting at it with their void eyes.

The hand wriggled some, digits twitching with life, making C Frisk scrunch their face in minor disturbance, their footsteps echoing across the empty blackness that they walked across.

"Gaster!" They called out as they reached a certain point in the darkness, misshapen clocks floating throughout the void around them.

Sitting alone, huddled over a screen-like cut in reality, a skeleton wrapped in a cloak of ooze glanced over his shoulder, revealing the glitching static over his right eye, his brow raising in surprise.

"Oh! Frisk! You've returned!" He turned away from the screen displaying Chara racing past pens firing through the air at them to face C Frisk.

"I managed to find enough of you to piece together your other hand." C Frisk made their way to Gaster, extending the squirming hand, which seemed quite eager to be returned to it's rightful place.

"Oh, perfect!" Gaster slid across the ground - or lack there of - within his goopy prison, which shifted lightly, opening to reveal a glitching, skeletal body, static covering certain parts here and there as he reached out with his right arm, the hand of which was covered with that static.

Gaster's hand jumped from Frisk's grasp, making them jump as it reconnected to Gaster's wrist, the static disappearing over where the hand now was connected.

"I know my kind has caused a great balance shift in the multiverse for reasons that may have been, in the grand scheme of things, selfish, but..." Gaster glanced to the side, C Frisk squinting their eyes and making a pouty face up at him.

"... My point is, though I know you don't agree with my choices, I appreciate you helping me." Gaster looked back to C Frisk, who sighed.

"Look, Gaster, I try my best to do what I can to make the multiverse a better place. But... This?" They shook their head. "These twenty one anomalies could have effects and implications that not even I can foresee."

"I have to do what I can now to get as many of this kids on the right track as possible."

* * *

 _"But, with how vastly different they each are..."_

A young woman sat in a crevice in the one of the walls of Waterfall, one knee pulled up and her other leg stretching out in front of her. She wore a grey, tattered cloak that only fell over her upper body, and was open in the front, revealing her black and red striped T shirt. She wore beat up blue jeans, tears in the knees. Her hood was up, obscuring her eyes in shadow.

One arm was up laying across her pulled up knee, resting over it and holding the handle of a surprisingly large scythe, the silver blade shimmering as water dripped down it's edge. Her hand gripped near the bottom of the scythe, and the higher part of the handle was rested casually over her shoulder, like how one would hold a baseball bat. Her other hand held a cinnamon bunny, which she quickly bit into, ripping her head to the side and tearing the ears from the bunny treat.

Tiny, monochromatic feet splashed through the puddles of Waterfall.

She looked up from her sugary prey, frowning at the grey scale intruder in her den.

* * *

 _"Results have been..."_

A young man pulled his hands from the sink of running water, turning off the faucet before reaching up, using his wet hands to slick his redish black hair back. He then grabbed the towel from next to the sink, calmly drying his hands before reaching up with both hands, straightening his tie.

He wore black dress pants and shoes and a long sleeve white button up shirt, wearing a red tuxedo vest along with a red tie, and he turned away from the mirror and began walking down the hallway of the True Lab, casually unrolling his sleeves as he did so.

After unrolling his sleeves, he reached into his pockets, gathering a box of cigarettes and a lighter from said pocket and pulling them out. He tapped the carton of cigarettes roughly against the palm of his other hand several times, before bringing it up to his lips, gently taking a cigarette in his teeth and pulling the carton away from his face, freeing the cigarette and putting the half empty box back in his pocket, using his free hand to spark his simple gas lighter to life, holding the delicate flame up to the end of his cigarette and lighting it.

And as he looked up from his cigarette, he stopped, cocking a brow at the little grey child waving at him from the end of the hallway.

And he remained silent, only reaching up and taking his cigarette between his index finger and thumb, gently pulling it away from his mouth and slowly exhaling a steady stream of of smoke into the air.

* * *

 _"... Mixed."_

It was odd, that a place so quiet and dark could somehow radiate such chaos, C Frisk found themself thinking as they stood in wait in MTT Resort.

Light flooded the room through the glass doors at the front of the room, and the monochromatic child somehow felt a deep sense of unease as a shadow fell over those doors, pale hands wrapping around the handles of the doors and throwing them open, a gust of wind blasting through the empty lobby.

C Frisk found themself gulping, watching that white shadow saunter towards them, seeming entirely welcoming of their presence.

They steadied themself, staring up into those crimson eyes, which felt as though they could see every where C Frisk's omnipresent being ever was or ever would be all at once. They knew they had no reason to fear, beings like him could not hurt beings like them. And yet...

Chaos incarnate loomed over the symbol of order, and with a smile, he let one arm drop to his side, opening his palm as that crowbar - that agent of destruction - dropped into his grasp.

* * *

"Your pick looks like he's at a tipping point." C Frisk stepped past Gaster, looking down at the screen he'd been watching through.

Their black hole eyes narrowed as they watched Cter and the possessed Frisk grab each other by the collar of the shirt, each cocking back a fist and slamming it into the other's face.

"He's neutral. He feels the desire to hurt, but he knows that it's wrong." C Frisk placed their hands behind their back, frowning lightly. "That's why we need to put you back together and get you to intervene as soon as possible."

C Frisk looked up at Gaster.

"Because the longer Cter has to fight Chara, the more he's going to tip towards genocidal. And believe me when I say, _no one_ wants that."

* * *

411.

Cter: 271

Chara: 140

"Hey there ho there my buddy friend guy pal amigo hombre brother sister chum pally pal fella home slice dog!" I jumped from my throne as if excited to see them, and they glared daggers at me as I happily walked down the hall to meet them.

"Now I hate to be the one to tell ya this but if you don't gimme this diddly darn timeline I'm gonna have to diddly darn **snap your neck** and WOWZA wouldn't that be a crummy juncture!" Grinning, I swung my arm over my chest to emphasis the silliness of my attitude while I took goofy, swaying steps to reach them.

"So if you wanna avoid being bamboozled like times before I suggest you hop on outta that host body a'yours and get the hell outta my timeline!"

I took one long step to the side, swaying my body in that direction and dodging Chara's slash, Chara flying by me and spinning in air, landing on their feet and skidding before spinning around to face me.

I turned on my heel, swinging one limp arm at them, a whip of ink lashing out from my sleeve and swiping at them, only for them to duck under it and burst forward, pulling their blade out to the side.

I stepped back, their slash leaving a red path through the air in front of me, which they darted through to slice up at me, only for me to dip my head backwards and dodge the slice of crimson. I whipped one hand upwards, and Chara jumped back, pens jutting from the earth below them with a crash.

They spun in air, gravity yanking them back down towards me as they yanked that knife back. I stepped to the side, eyes narrowing as I barely evaded their downward slash.

I jumped back, Chara darting after me. They ran low to the ground, darting between the giant erasers that dropped from the sky to smash them, the earth shaking as each eraser hit the ground before they stabbed up at me, and I moved my head to the side, a red slice appearing across my cheek, crimson blood slipping from the wound down my cheek before I crouched down, yanking back one fist and assaulting their abdomen with a quick jab, making them hunch over, their eyes widening in pain before I jumped, spinning in air and swinging one leg at their head, only for them to bring up their arm, blocking my kick with their forearm and glaring at me out of the corner of their eye before I pushed off of them, landing slightly crouched.

I ducked down as they lunged forward with a stab, launching back up and landing an uppercut on their chin, their head being thrown back before they yanked up one leg, slamming a kick into my chest and throwing me back across the hall.

My eyes winced shut from the blunt pain to my chest as I launched back through the air, before my back collided with one of the few remaining pillars in the golden hall, jarring my eyes open wide and shoving the wind from my lungs along with specks of saliva from my mouth.

My vision focused in on them dashing forward at me, and my jaw clenched as I managed to push myself to the side, blood spraying through the air as they stabbed through my left shoulder, knife pinning me to the pillar.

Snarling with pain, I cocked back my right fist, slamming it into their jaw and making them stumble to the side before I gripped the handle of the knife they left in my shoulder, teeth gritting and eyes going wide as I tore the cool steel from my arm, sending ruby liquid splattering to the ground.

Chara looked back to me, growling with anger as I threw their knife back at them. As they reached out to catch it, I snarled, lifting my left arm and opening my palm, displaying the crimson streams that ran over my fingers and palms as I grabbed my forearm to steady the arm. And I jolted back, ink firing up through the hole in my shoulder and wrapping around my arm, spiraling out at Chara at a shocking speed, the end forming a point.

And just as they grabbed the knife, the ink spike fired through their abdomen, and I roared, yanking back my arm and pulling them back towards me, cocking back my free fist.

Hatred flared in Chara's eyes, blood streaming down their chin as they pulled back that knife, letting out a primal roar as I pulled them closer.

Blood.

The music faded out.

My eyes were wide, my mouth hanging open and my chest heaving painfully for air, Chara's knife planted square in my sternum.

Their eye twitched as it looked to me from it's corner, my fist planted firmly in their cheek, blood pouring down their chin.

Ink splattered to the ground. My left arm fell limp.

We both stumbled past one another, like we didn't even know the other was there.

I noted that my body dropped to it's knees, though I couldn't feel it. A numbness was washing over me. Behind me, Chara slipped forward, landing on their knees and falling forward against the pillar before them.

And as I dropped face first towards the ground, Chara slipped to the side, the both of our body's hitting the ground at the same time.

 **Shatter.**

* * *

 _"Pathetic."_

 _I could only look up weakly at my attacker, watching as he crossed his arms, planting his shoe atop my head._

 _"Is this really all you've got, you little twerp?" His crimson eyes narrowed, and I grit my blood stained teeth as he ground the heel of his shoe into the top of my head, pushing my chin deeper into the mud._

 _"Do you wanna die pusscake, is that it?" He yanked back up that shoe, and I winced in pain as he stomped down on my head. "Are you really that much of a waste?!"_

 _"No..." I managed to say between my grinding teeth, my eyes clenching shut._

 _"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" He snarled, roughly pushing my head deeper into the dirt with his foot._

 _"I SAID I DON'T WANNA DIE!" I shouted out, blood running down my chin and my forehead from my hairline._

 _"No, you don't wanna die..." He grinned wickedly as he knelt down, grabbing a fistful of my wet, matted hair and yanking my head up so that I was looking at him. "You wanna kill."_

 _"... Kill..." Such a sweet word. It felt so right on my tongue. In my mind._

 _"Yeah. Rip, tear. Bite, claw. Crush, smash." His grin widened from ear to ear as he watched life return to my eyes, my lips slowly beginning to curve upwards, blood leaking from the cracks in them._

 _"That's the look, my little prodigy." He dropped my head back into the dirt and stood, crossing his arms as he loomed over me. "You might just become even stronger than me someday."_

 _At that, his eyes snapped open wide, and he yanked back his foot, swinging forward and sending a kick flying directly at my face._

 _"NOW GET BACK OUT THERE!"_

* * *

 _It went on like that for awhile._

Chara and I launched at each other, a thin spear of ink forming around my pen as we pulled back our weapons.

 _Hours? Days? Centuries? Who could count it all?_

They ducked under my spear, stabbing upwards and piercing my chest, my eyes widening in agony as my blood splattered over their grinning face.

 _They were all I came to know. I was all they came to know._

Chara jumped from key platform to key platform, before diving down towards me, slashing through the air force of paper airplanes that raced up to meet them.

 _I thought that I might start to feel some fatigue. Or that they would grow bored of me at some point._

Grinning wickedly, malice flared in that right eye as they plummeted down towards me, a red trail of DE **TERMINATION** following that blade that they led with.

 _... We didn't._

I smiled wolfishly up at them, winking my right eye shut as a Beat Blaster appeared between them and I, and their eyes widened as that beam of white hot energy raced up towards them, engulfing them and turning their body to ash.

 _If anything, I became... Excited to see them again. And they certainly seemed to enjoy seeing me._

Chara smirked as they sauntered down that hall, shrugging with that knife in hand and shaking their head.

 _What would they say, what would they do? Would I kill them, would they kill me? It was so intriguing, I just had to know._

I was laughing at something they said, grinning that less than friendly grin of mine as I took my time standing from my throne.

 _They were my enemy. My murderer, and my victim._

They darted between beams of light from my floating earbuds, diving at me, only for me to duck down, planting one hand on the ground, the earth rumbling in response.

 _... But they were also the only other person in the whole world. The only other immortal god in this eternity._

And as pens jutted from the earth in a circle around us, jabbing up at them, they placed one hand on my shoulder, flipping over me and narrowly avoiding the pen tips.

 _I got used to them, and they got used to me. We became perfect enemies._

They landed crouched, immediately spinning around and lunging back at me as I pulled back a forming ink spear, grabbing them by the wrist and pulling them aside, stabbing through their abdomen without a seconds hesitation.

 _The scoreboard evened out. A single fight went on until we were exhausted, and then kept going._

Blood spewing from between their teeth, they lifted one hand to my head, that revolver forming in their grasp from their inventory, the barrel pressing to my forehead.

 _Ties became pretty common. Slip ups became very uncommon._

And as they fell dying, they pulled the trigger, and my brain matter painted the floor.

 _When we both grew momentarily tired of fighting, as we rarely did, we would have this sort of... Unspoken agreement to chill the fuck out for the first few minutes of the next reload._

I sat, leaned forward in my throne as Chara stood in the entrance into the throne room, the both of us conversing about god knows what.

 _Insults, compliments. Jokes, threats. I'd piss them off, they'd piss me off. It always ended the same way._

I launched through the air, teeth gritting as I held Chara by the face, pulling them back and slamming them head first through a pillar, sending chunks of stone exploding through the air.

 _... With us beating the shit out of each other._

I threw Chara through the dust of the pillar, and they launched back out a second later, giving me a receipt with a hard knee to my jaw, throwing my head to the side before I was launched back through the air.

 _When they died, I waited impatiently for them to come back, which they always did almost immediately. When I died, I always raced back to fight them again. To see them again._

I flipped in air, landing on my feet and slouching forward slightly as I slid back, grinning at them, despite the stream of blood running from my now broken lip.

 _Until, eventually..._

We both lay there, at the center of that hall, on our backs, our heads next to each other. Our limbs sprawled out at our sides, sweat beaded down our faces, and our chests heaved with labored breathes.

"... Are we going to be here forever..?" I finally spoke, glazed over eyes not moving from the ceiling.

"... Would that really be so bad, Cter..?" Chara flipped over onto their stomach, pushing themself to their hands and knees and crawling over to me.

I watched their face come into view, and they wore such a sweet smile as they lifted that knife above their head, arm shaking with fatigue.

 _... No._

They didn't pay much mind to the white light that was beginning to wash over, a large Beat Blaster appearing over us, pointing down at us as it prepared it's wrath.

 ** _That would be wonderful._**

 **Shatter.**

 **Flash.**

714

Cter: 357

Chara: 357

"You didn't answer my question." Chara smirked lightly as they made their way down the hall towards me, not in a rush but not hesitantly.

"I'm here, ain't I?" I returned their confident smirk, placing my hands on the arms of my throne and pushing myself to my feet, standing slouched and stuffing my hands into my pockets.

"Yes. There you are." Their hands were empty, they had yet to draw their knife. My eyes narrowed inquisitively at this. Chara? Without a weapon? Unprecedented.

"You know, Cter, I've spent a good portion of my life - or whatever it is that I have now - in disgust of humanity, hating every human." They spoke calmly, those crimson, snake like eyes narrowing at me, watching my every move.

"But you." Their lips curved up ever so slightly. "You're different from them."

"Yeah?" I cocked a brow, my attention caught.

"Other humans are weak and cowardly. Afraid to kill, afraid to die." That blackness crept into the whites of Chara's eyes as they smiled wide.

"But you... You kill and die without flinching." They tilted their head to the side, an oil tear slipping down their cheek. "You don't care about anyone but yourself, right? Nobody understands true strength like you."

My jaw clenched, my smile fading away to a more stoic expression, the shadow of my hair falling over my eyes.

"As fun as this is, I believe you and I are destined for more then an eternal grudge match." They reached up, wiping one black tear from their cheek with a grin.

"... So what did you have in mind?" I tilted my head to the side, no emotion showing on my face. My bangs moved with the shift of my head, my left eye being revealed to the world. It was a dull emerald green, and, maybe, somewhere deep inside...

Chara grinned from ear to ear, streams of darkness overflowing from their eyes down their cheeks, beginning to bubble over from between their teeth and slipping down their chin.

Just then, everything seemed to slow down. The room pressurized, and both Chara's and my eyes widened as the colors of the world flipped to negative for just a moment, before a burst of light pierced the void of darkness at the very center of the hall between us, and a blast of force slammed into Chara and I, throwing each of us down the hall in different directions as the colors of the hall returned to normal.

"Eugh..." I rubbed my head, laying with my back against a fallen pillar as I looked up to see what on earth had caused such a force.

And there, at the center of the hall, a skeleton slowly climbed to his feet. He wore a long, buttoned up coat, the bottom of which reached down to his ankles. Under the coat, he wore a white sweater, which matched the grey scarf that was wrapped around his neck. He wore black dress pants and shoes. But, I'd say his most defining features were the crack that ran down from his left eye and up from his right, and the fact that as he sat there, gasping for breath with wide sockets, His left eye's pupil glowed a deep blue, and his right's a deep orange.

"... I'm back..." He spoke in disbelief, looking his skeletal hands over, looking through the holes in their centers. "I'm back..!"

"Uh..?" I climbed to my feet, cocking a brow at this new monster. I knew I'd seen him before, but thinking outside of what my life had become fighting Chara, everything seemed a tad fuzzy...

He looked up to me with those wide eyes, and I found myself somewhat stunned. It had been an eternity, hadn't it? Since I last looked someone but them in the eye.

How do I interact with people other than them again..? It was hard to remember...

"It's you!" The skeleton climbed to his feet, stumbling slightly and catching himself with one hand on the pillar at his side.

"... Look, buddy, I'm not entirely sure on who you are," I squinted at him, tilting my head to the side. "But you need to get out of here, it's not safe for monsters here."

"Yeah." Chara's voice cut in, and the both of us looked to see them walking from the shadows, one hand clutching that knife and the other clenched into a tight fist. They looked _pissed_. "You've got a lot of nerve."

"Cter!" The skeleton looked to me, urgency in his sockets. "There isn't time! Listen!"

At that, the well dressed skeleton reached out to both Chara and I, and our souls appeared on our chests, us both looking to them with wide eyes as our souls were pulled away from our chests, floating just in front of us before we were both yanked forward with them, flinging at shocking speeds towards the intruder.

As we reached him, our souls fit into the holes in his palms, and shock waves blasted through our very beings.

"YOU HAVE TO WIN!"

* * *

My eyes snapped open wide.

Darkness.

I jolted up, eyes darting from side to side to inspect my surroundings.

It was a lot like where I would awake when I got my magic. A void filled with random memories floating like screens around me.

But, instead of a friendly monster...

"What is this..?" Chara asked in a low growl, climbing to their feet across from me. "This isn't how it's supposed to go, Cter!"

They no longer looked to be in Frisk's body. Their skin was a paler shade, and they wore their green, yellow striped shirt instead of Frisk's blue, purple striped shirt.

It was Chara, alright.

I stood as well, choosing not to speak for another moment as I looked above.

High in the void above us, two enormous, ruby souls floated, glowing a deep red in the vantablack.

My eyes fell to my side, where many yards away, I could make out a cage. It was hard to tell what was inside, but it almost... Looked like a person.

"... All good things must come to an end, Chara." I looked back to them, that devilish grin creeping up my face. My eyes snapped open wide, malice shinning in them.

 **"May the stronger human win."**

Chara's eyes narrowed at this, but they did smile in amusement at the desire to hurt clear in my voice and expression.

"Wait, Cter." They held up one hand as I took a step forward, and I paused, arching a brow at them.

"You extended me an olive branch when this started, and I'd like to return the favor." They smirked lightly as I arched a brow curiously. "You remember what I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, yes?"

"... Yeah, I do." My eyes narrowed skeptically, and I watched them closely.

"You and I are incredibly powerful, Cter. I think we could do great things..." Darkness seeped into the whites of their eyes. "... Together."

My jaw clenched. A part of me wanted to cut them off right there, if only for fear of what the rest of me might want to hear.

"Just think about it, Cter." Their smirk widened into a grin, blackness surrounding their crimson irises. "The possibilities are endless!"

"Frisk was a temporary vessel at best. Just too weak and too attached to this worthless world." Chara closed their eyes for a moment, shaking their head and scoffing. "If I'd had the option, I'd have picked you from the very start."

*How flattering.

"You and I can finally escape this overplayed game, and move on to the next." Chara reopened their eyes, that slimy grin on their face as they reached out with their right hand, opening their palm as if extending their hand for me to take.

But as I looked to their hand, I watched a golden energy manifest into a simple, rectangular button over their hand, floating there, with one word engraved in it.

 **ERASE**

"Come with me, Cter." Their grin widened from ear to ear, black sludge oozing down their chin and streaming from their tear ducts down their cheeks.

 _ **"Let us make this multiverse our own."**_

I stared at that button for a long time. So many thoughts swirled through my mind, so many emotions through my heart.

Until there was nothing.

Until those fake feelings melted away, and I once again felt that strong, pale hand place itself upon my head.

Everything else faded away, until it was just me, the ERASE button, and the Angel killer.

*Quit wasting time, brat.

My mouth was slightly ajar, and my hair shadowed my eyes. Suddenly, that option seemed so warm, so inviting.

The grown albino man behind me grinned wide, one hand on my head and the other in his pocket.

*This world can't offer you anything else. Don't pass up this golden opportunity.

I took one step forward, my body swaying with the step, as if it moved on it's own.

My hand clenched and unclenched, eager to take hold of the power being presented to me.

*Cut the ties to the worthless weakling who've clung so desperately to you.

One more shaky step forward. That golden light reflected in my eyes, and the darkness that surrounded us writhed and slithered, seeming overjoyed as I lifted one hand, slowly reaching out for the ERASE button.

*Make this reality your o-!

"AY! KNUCKLE HEAD! THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

A warm gold light glowed around me, that killer disappearing from existence as a little old woman with grey hair and a face full of wrinkles suddenly stood before me, reaching up to grab me by the collar and yank me down to eye level, my eyes reappearing from the shadow of my hair and widening in shock as she cocked back her free hand, planting a hard slap across my cheek and throwing my head to the side, effectively knocking sense directly into me.

"..." I remained silent, reaching up and touching my cheek with shock reflecting on my expression, before I growled, my head snapping to look at the old woman before me.

"The hell was that for, you crazy old bat?!" I yelled right back in her face, though she didn't flinch one bit, wagging a finger in my face.

"Don't you give me that shit, Angel!" She scolded, her finger clenching back into a threatening fist. "I saw what you were about to do!"

"Yeah Granny? And what's that?" I sassed, though I tilted my head back away from that fist in unspoken fear.

"You were gonna go back on the promise you made that nice monster boy!" Granny poked me multiple times in the chest with her boney finger. "Don't try to deny it, I saw you!"

"Promise?" My face contorted with confusion. "What promi-"

 _"... I-I don't want you to become mean like them..."_

My eyes widened in realization, and Granny pulled her hand away, placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head knowingly.

"... Oooohhh..." I grimaced. "... I'm a dick."

"Yes you are." She squinted her old eyes scrutinizingly. "Honestly, all the time I put into you and you're still out here acting like a hoodlum?"

My face grew red with embarrassment, and I reached up, scratching the back of my head as I avoided eye contact.

"You're too old to be a brat, Angel!" Granny scolded, once again wagging that finger at me, other hand still on her hip. "You've grown up too much to be a little kid!"

She was right, and I hadn't even noticed. I'd changed so much since I'd come to the underground. I didn't even look the same.

What was once scrawny was now toned, and my face had lost that smoother, more childlike look in favor of a sharper jawline and more defined features. Not to mention the Delta Rune engraved on my back.

"So stop dickin' around!" Granny stepped to the side, pointing back at the erase button.

"Grit your teeth, clench your butt cheeks, and kick! Their! Ass!"

At those words, my hands clenched into fists, my jaw clenched, and I took a quick step forward, the illusion around me disappearing.

Chara's eyes widened as I reached out and under that button, grabbing them by the wrist with my right hand and yanking their arm aside.

Letting out a primal roar, I planted my feet, cocked back my left fist, and let it explode forward, a red aura steaming from my knuckles before my fist collided with the erase button, a gust of wind exploding out around the collision before cracks rapidly launched through the button.

my face contorting with rage and exertion, my teeth ground together before my fist fired through the ERASE button, sending it exploding to shards around us as my fist continued it's righteous path, Chara's face expressing utter bewilderment before my punch blasted into their solar plexus, and I kicked back one of my legs, sending them firing downward and planting them in the ground below us, a massive boom reverberating with a shock wave that tore at my sweatshirt and made my hair whip back.

I liked to imagine that the punch replayed three times for dramatic effect.

Chara's wide eyes stared up at me, their free hand weakly gripping the wrist of my left fist, which was embedded deep in their abdomen, their other hand pinned by the wrist to the ground by my right hand.

Chest heaving and heart thumping rapidly with adrenaline, I stared down at them with semi-wide eyes, looming over them, my shadow falling over their face.

"... Ha... Haha..." Chara's lips slowly curved up into an amused grin, their eyes focusing in on me. "Hahahaha..."

"I knew you wouldn't... Give in that easily..." They laughed weakly, body beginning to dissipate into spirals of red mist. They didn't bleed, despite my fist being planted in their chest.

"Though I almost feel bad for you..." They tilted their head to the side, grinning from ear to ear as their mist floated up around me. "After spending so long together..."

They reached up with one misting hand, cupping my cheek gently as they grinned. For god knows what reason, this time, I didn't pull away.

 _ **"Will you really be able to live without me?"**_

Their body disappeared, and as that red mist passed over me, I almost felt arms wrap around me. One hand rested over the soul on my chest, and the other covered my left eye.

 _"I'll try not to keep you waiting."_

In the next moment, the feeling of them disappeared, and that mist floated higher and higher into the abyss. I wasn't sure when it disappeared, as I didn't watch it go. I just dropped to my knees where their body had been moments ago, and looked to my hands.

"..." I was silent for a long time. Until, eventually, I smiled. And then, I began to snicker. And then chuckle.

And as I laughed wholeheartedly to myself, I reached up, running a hand through my hair.

"I'm gonna need so much goddamn therapy..." Maybe it was the mental exhaustion, but that simple statement was making me giggle like an idiot.

After sitting there and laughing for awhile, when said laughter inevitably died down, my eyes drifted over to that cage in the distance, and narrowed slightly.

I climbed to my feet and took a deep breath, beginning to walk towards what I could only assume was a trapped kid.

Eventually, when I came into view, my theory was confirmed. From behind the red DETERMINATION bars, Frisk looked up at me, looking to be somewhat surprised.

"So... You really did it." They spoke, not seeming particularly excited or particularly sad. "You beat Chara."

"... Yeah. Yeah I did." I took a seat in front of their pathetic little cage, which was not big enough for them to stand in.

"..." Frisk's eyes drifted down to the black floor, their hands gripping onto the knees of their pants.

"I... Understand if you don't trust me. If you want to destroy me too. It's what I deserve." They trembled as they spoke. "Chara was always right about me... I am a coward, and I am weak..."

I didn't express much of anything. I just sat there, listening.

"I had friends and family, and I threw it all away, just because I thought I could get away with it..." They avoided contact with my unfeeling eyes. "And, when Chara showed up, I wasn't strong enough to keep my soul from them... I suppose it's better that way, it was clear that I couldn't be trusted with that power..."

"It didn't always have to be like this, but... You knew that, didn't you?" Smiling sadly, they looked up at me. "That's why you fought so hard, right? That's why you resisted, even when Chara tempted you. Because you knew there was something better than this."

"... It wasn't my place to choose the fate of this world like that." I blinked my exhausted eyes. "I just got here. I haven't fought nearly as hard as others to keep this place safe."

"... I wish I'd been more like you..." Frisk looked down, that sad smile fading away. "You're so strong... So much more so than me..."

They clenched their eyes shut tight, taking a deep breath.

"... I understand if you have to kill me. I would probably just weigh you down, and you probably don't trust me... Besides, you won the timeline, fair and square..."

"..." I stood, looking down at them, one hand in my pocket, the other extending an open palm to the cage.

"Frisk."

"Yes..?"

"Do you want a second chance?"

"More than anything..."

"Will you make this all right? Will you give these people the happy ending they deserve?"

"... I will."

"Will you lay down your weapon and never gain LOVE again?"

"I promise."

I smiled lightly.

"That's all I needed to hear."

A pulse reverberated through the cage of DETERMINATION, before it shattered, falling to nothing around Frisk, who watched with surprise.

"You're... Really sparing me..?" They asked hopefully, slowly standing before me.

I smiled weakly, exhaustion reflecting in my eyes.

"I've killed enough today."

* * *

My eyes fluttered open, and I glanced around myself. My eyes caught on the well dressed skeleton at my side, who smiled with relief as he saw my eyes open.

"... Wing Ding Gaster, right?" I said groggily, pointing up at him. He nodded.

"Yes, that's me." He scooted back as I sat up, looking over at him. "I apologize for the abruptness of my appearance. I just knew I had to get here fast."

"S'alright." I waved a hand dismissively, closing my eyes and rubbing them with my index finger and thumb. "Everything worked out alright."

"Cter... I've been watching you battle while I pulled myself together." Gaster smiled with an odd amount of pride. "I know that this life was thrust upon you, but I cannot express my gratitude enough. Because of you, my world has been saved, and I can finally return to it."

"I am pretty amazing, aren't I?" I winked an eye shut, grinning playfully and tiredly.

Gaster chuckled lightly at this, before his eyes darted over my shoulder, narrowing at Frisk, who seemed to be stirring with life.

I watched his expression harden and his eyes light back up with blue and orange before I looked over my shoulder, spotting Frisk sitting up.

"Relax, G." I waved a hand dismissively, confusion appearing on Gaster's expression as I stood, walking over to Frisk.

"Welcome back, Frisk." I offered them a hand, which they looked to, before smiling lightly up at me, taking my hand and letting me help them to their feet.

"... Glad to be back." They said with a bit of hesitation, seeming quite timid.

"So, you chose to give Frisk back their body." Gaster stood, walking up to us.

"Hope that ain't an issue." I looked over my shoulder to him, and he laughed lightly, waving a hand dismissively.

"Not at all. The less you kill, the better. Besides, it gives us a good opportunity." Gaster placed his hands behind his back, and I cocked a brow at him.

"And what's that?" I tilted my head to the side curiously.

"Since Frisk is here to RESET instead of you, I can take you outside of the timeline." Gaster explained. "That way, you won't lose your magic as you are evading being sent back in time."

"That's some good thinkin', G." I reached up, tapping my forehead with my index finger, before turning to face Frisk.

"You ready to start setting things right?" I smiled lightly at them, and they smiled in return, nodding with DETERMINATION.

"Alrighty then, let's get to i-"

"Cteeeerrrrrrr!"

I turned to look down the hall, arching a brow in confusion before my eyes went wide, and I quickly opened my arms, catching Monster Kid in them.

"YoI'msogladyou'reokayIwassoworriedyouhavenoideaandthenthatskeletondudeshowedupandIjustthought"Igottagohelp"andGAAASSSSSPPPPPI'mjustsohappytoseeyou'realright!"

I laughed lightly, only really understanding about half of what Monster Kid was saying as he buried his face in my shoulder, crying tears of joy.

I just wrapped my arms around him, my laughter slowly dying down as my exhausted eyes drifted to the floor, my smile slowly fading.

"Hey, Monster Kid... E-easy with the water works, alright?" I smiled weakly, tears building in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks in his embrace. "I-I'm okay, I promise..."

It had been so long since I'd felt this way. At least, I thought it'd been so long. How long was I in that timeloop? how much time did it all add up to?

I felt like I'd been going insane. Or maybe I'd found sanity? It felt so real and so fake all at once, and remembering it made my mind race and scatter and-

"Cter..?"

None of it matters now.

"Yeah, MK..?" We pulled away from each other, Monster Kid wiping his tears with his tail.

"You're... Gonna be RESETing time now, right?" Monster Kid asked, and I nodded.

"We're gonna set everything right and save everybody." I smiled lightly to reassure, but Monster Kid just looked down.

"So... I'm probably gonna forget all about you, huh..?"

My eyes widened, and another tear slipped down my cheek at that thought. I'd been so focused on bringing everyone back that I hadn't put much thought into the littler things.

"... Y-yeah. Probably."

"... Then," Monster Kid's eyes narrowed at the ground, his jaw clenching. "I need you to make me another promise."

I was slightly taken aback, arching a brow at Monster Kid. I was a little weary and concerned by his words, even. After all, keeping the last promise I'd made him was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

Monster Kid tensed, before he suddenly looked up to me, intensity burning in his eyes.

"Promise me that we'll be best friends again!"

My eyes widened at his words, which sent a jolt of emotion through my body. A kind of care and compassion that hadn't been expressed towards me in eons, it felt.

"... H-heh..." I smiled wide, from ear to ear as tears overflowed down my cheeks. "Okay."

 **"It's a promise."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	9. Chapter 9: A Man Unkillable

**Totally forgot to mention before that CORE Frisk was made by dokudoki on Tumblr, if you didn't already know, and not me. Anyway have fun with the longest chapter I've ever typed! This chapter marks the end of the first arc of DoubleTale!**

 **Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Konigstiger726, Wingah, Allagenda-domsizers-chan, Alrarora, Kingz T. Infinity, welcometodalolz, Fixer140.85, 10burgers, KZJester, DescendantYl2, and SomeRandomWeeb.**

* * *

It was certainly intriguing.

The remains of the Royal Guard stood ready, each of them pointing their weapons out to the albino wandering closer, not seeming to be paying much attention to them.

He'd acquired this strange control over the dark itself, but from where..?

"This is it, men!" Royal Guard 01 stood between Greater and Lesser Dog, Doggo standing behind him, the four blocking the entrance to Alphys's lab. "We're the last line of defense!"

It was as though he just wanted to hurt things... And the shadows made it happen.

"This human has taken a lot from us!" 01's hands clenched into tight fists. "Lets make him pay!"

Like those shadows were some manifestation of his desire to hurt. To kill. To share his LOVE with the whole world.

"Lets show him that us Monsters aren't gonna go down without a-!"

STAB.

01 slowly looked down, his shaking hands gradually reaching up towards the black spike that had fired from Anarchy's shadow and through his abdomen, lifting him into the air and pinning him to the wall above the entrance to Alphys's lab.

"G-guh..!" 01 coughed a pint of blood through his helmet, sending it plummeting down below, where it splattered to the ground. Crimson poured down his body from the gaping hole in his abdomen, dripping from his boots to the ground below.

Slowly, the Royal Guard managed to look to his side, seeing that Doggo had suffered the same fate, pinned right next to him, dusting and bleeding like the rest of Anarchy's victims.

Snarling, the remaining dogs rushed forward, Anarchy's arms swaying at his sides, his mouth hanging open thoughtlessly as he darted forward, ducking under Greater Dog's spear before swiping up with one limp arm, his crowbar sliding from his sleeve up into his hand in that same instant.

Blood and dust exploded up through the air, Anarchy's crowbar having cut through the dog monster as if he was made from butter, splattering the Anarchist with red, which was quickly turning to silver.

Anarchy spun, spinning around a stab and turning to face Lesser Dog in one motion. He quickly bent backwards to duck under a slash, before swinging his body back up like a hammer, arms swinging limp at his sides as his forehead bashed into Lesser Dog's shield, sending cracks splitting through it before it shattered to pieces, Lesser Dog stumbling back with eyes wide in shock.

Anarchy hunched forward before instantly closing the gap between them, his low hanging arm suddenly clenching it's fist and swinging upward, shattering up through Lesser Dog's abdomen and then skull, sending the dog instantly poofing into dust, which was thrown high into the air from the force of the uppercut.

"..." Anarchy stood up straight, tilting his head back and watching the dust slowly drift down over his body for a moment or two. He slid his crowbar back up his sleeve, before stuffing his hands in his pockets.

After another few seconds, he turned his head towards that lab door, sighing lightly and shifting his footing, beginning to walk towards the doorway. As he reached the metal, it fearfully slid out of his way, granting him passage into the abandoned laboratory.

"Well look who it is!"

Or, nearly abandoned.

"You've certainly made quite a name for yourself haven't you, you freaky little thing!" Mettaton's arms reached over his screen, clapping sarcastically as confetti rained down from above.

Saying nothing, Anarchy began to walk forward, making Mettaton lift one hand, waggling a finger at The Anarchist.

"Ah ah, I know you wanna get your pasty fingers on me!" Mettaton laughed, rolling slightly back and forth on his wheel. "But I think you'll find my metal body quite impenet-"

STAB.

Instantly, Mettaton's wheel slid out from under him, his body slumping back ever so slightly, his arms falling limp to his sides. Through his screen and out the back of it, Anarchy's shadow had launched, piercing through it and killing Mettaton in an instant, his robotic body still stuck on the physical embodiment of LOVE.

Anarchy's cold eyes followed the body as his shadow lifted it, before whipping to the side and throwing the metal corpse off of itself, sending Mettaton's body into the wall, which it clunked against, before falling and landing on it's side, one arm bent awkwardly under his body and the other hanging over the side, visible through the gaping hole in Mettaton's screen.

"... Idiot." Anarchy just shook his head, before continuing forward, his shadow slipping back under him.

Now, where was he before that buffoon interrupted him?

The next metal door cowardly opened in the same manner as the first for the Anarchist, who walked slouched, hands stuffed in his pockets and crowbar slid up his sleeve.

Anarchy had found himself in a sour mood since he felled The Heroine. Killing those five insignificant specks had done nothing for him.

He didn't feel like himself. He felt like...

How disgusting.

How Anthony despised when he came back. He wished he could disappear entirely. That Anarchy could keep puppeteering his corpse without him remembering.

Or that someone would kill them both.

And the disappointment that their survival brought had woken Anthony, at least partially. He wanted to disappear again. He wanted to go back to sleep. He didn't want to feel the weight of his actions anymore.

He didn't want to be awake in this nightmare anymore.

"It's him!"

"Run!"

There it was. The tug from chaos. The receding of his conscious. Sweet relief.

It was time to go back to sleep.

Their usually relaxed expressions riddled with terror, two volcans quickly attempted to scurry away, their oddly shaped bodies making escape difficult.

Anarchy smiled, bending at the knees before bursting off the ground at the two, rapidly closing the distance between himself and the terrified monsters as he threw his left arm out to the side, that crowbar slipping back into his grasp from his sleeve.

Just then, a whistling filled his ears, and his crimson eyes narrowed up at the sky, where he spotted a strange plane soaring over head, bombs plummeting through the air from the plane down towards him.

Anarchy stopped running, standing up straight and staring up at the bombs dropping rapidly through the sky down towards him.

 **BOOM.**

The crashes echoed through the Underground, the red dirt of Hotland exploding up in plumes of smoke and dust just after the flames of the explosions had engulfed The Anarchist.

"Run!" The Tsundere Plane over head cried down to the two volcans. "He can't reach me up h-!"

The earth shattered apart. The dust exploded open at it's peak, and Anarchy launched high above Tsundere Plane, and air craft looked up with eyes wide in horror.

Everything seemed to pause for only a moment as her wide, horrified eyes locked with Anarchy's crimson peepers, which flashed with glee at his easy checkmate.

Everything sped back up, and Anarchy pulled that crowbar over his head, grasping it with both hands as he was dragged back by gravity from high in the air, swinging down and crashing through Tsundere Plane's face, shattering right through the metal and ripping it to shrapnel, sending her spiraling down towards the earth in a dusty tailspin.

He landed crouched, the ground cracking into a spiderweb of broken earth beneath him and Tsundere Plane exploding in a wave of heat and flames behind him, perfectly illuminating the wicked grin that had crept up his face.

Anarchy darted forward from the blaring light of the explosion, cocking back that crowbar as he raced towards the shocked volcans before him, who were paralyzed with fear, watching the Anarchist race closer with wide eyes.

Anarchy's eyes shinned a bright crimson as he closed the distance, preparing to swing forward when a wall of flames exploded up between him and the volcan, making him narrow his eyes and dig both feet into the dirt, skidding to a stop before the fire.

Anarchy jumped back as the flames died down, frowning as he watched the volcans scurry away before his cold eyes settled on the one who had gotten in his way.

"..." Grillby reached up, pushing up his glasses, the shadow in them covering his eyes. He stood right there, in Anarchy's path. He expressed no fear and no contempt.

But Anarchy did not speak. He just began to walk towards the fire elemental, who was silently rolling up his sleeves, the glare of his glasses covering his eyes.

Anarchy's shadow began to writhe and lift from the earth under him.

A circle of flames streamed to life around Grillby's feet, fire licking up into the air from his arms as he clenched his hands into fists.

No words needed to be spoken.

They would fight, and one would die.

 **Chapter 9: A Man Unkillable**

 _"I've got a lot of answers."_

* * *

Anarchy's shadow fired from below him, racing across the way to Grillby, who did not flinch as the ring of fire around him blasted upwards, flaring brightly and making Anarchy wince and throw up an arm to defend his eyes. The burning light of the flames tore through his darkness, pushing his shadow back to the ground beneath his feet, the tendrils disintegrating around Grillby's pyro circle.

Anarchy frowned at this revelation, before throwing the arm he'd shielded his eyes with out to the side as Grillby's flames died down to a low roar, his crowbar sliding from his sleeve and into his grasp before he launched forward without a moment's hesitation.

Grillby's fiery body shifted around Anarchy, swaying at the last second to the side and avoiding a vicious slash from that crowbar.

As Anarchy landed and skidded to a stop, he quickly looked over his shoulder at Grillby, who had reformed, extending a single, open palm to The Anarchist.

A wave of blue made it's way over Grillby's body rapidly, reaching down his arm before firing out in an explosion of sapphire flames, washing over Anarchy instantaneously, the albino only having enough time to turn to face the flames before they covered his being.

Grillby jumped back in the next instant, Anarchy firing through the flames with his right fist cocked back, rage flaring in his eyes. The right shoulder of his shirt and his right sleeve had been burnt off, revealing the right half of his chest and his arm and shoulder, which all had multiple age old scars engraved in the flesh.

Grillby's head split into two flames, his glasses slipping back into his chest for a moment and his features disappearing as Anarchy's fist jabbed through the air where Grillby's head had been. And The Anarchist's eyes narrowed as Grillby reached up, grabbing him by the forearm with both scorching hands and planting his feet the moment that he landed on them, rapidly turning and throwing Anarchy over his shoulder, slamming him into the earth and sending cracks exploding through it.

Anarchy was quick to push himself up on his hands, swinging his legs and spinning on his palms, kicking at Grillby's legs, only for Grillby to jump back, throwing one hand up, Anarchy flipping up onto his hands and springing off of them from the ground where he was, where flames blasted from the earth a moment later.

Anarchy fired back from springing off the ground, kicking at Grillby, who once again side stepped his attack, turning around to face The Anarchist, who landed on his feet and one hand, skidding back from his own momentum.

The two locked eyes, each watching the other closely as Anarchy slowly stood to his full height, arms swaying slightly as his knuckles whitened around his crowbar.

Grillby clenched his hands into fists, his body shifting with heat and igniting in a bright blue flame.

* * *

"Come on! Right this way!" Papyrus waved the two volcans towards the elevator entrance in which he stood, and they were quick to turn, running towards him and into the elevator.

Papyrus smiled with relief, stepping back into the elevator and closing the doors, punching in a series of numbers into a keypad just above the buttons for selecting floors. It looked as though a panel had been removed, which had revealed the keypad.

"Worry not, you two are safe with the Great Papyrus!" Papyrus smiled wide as he turned to the two volcans, who had collapsed against one another in the corner of the elevator, falling into an exhausted slumber.

Papyrus's confident smile faded to a more somber one, and he sighed softly, leaning his back against the metal wall of the elevator before slowly sliding down the metal as he reached into his pocket, retrieving his phone.

He clicked a few buttons on the touch screen, before holding the phone up to his not ear and waiting silently for only a few moments.

"Papyrus. Are you safe?"

"Well, yes," Papyrus' eyes glossed over to the sleeping volcans. "Grillby managed to save two volcans in just the nick of time. I'm on the elevator heading back down to the evacuation zone with them now. But, Grillby..."

"... It's alright, bro. We both knew he wouldn't be able to sit back and watch forever."

"..." Papyrus frowned, eyes narrowing at the floor of the elevator, which descended deeper into the earth.

"... And, how long do we intend to, brother?"

The phone was silent for seconds that felt like hours.

"... You did good saving those volcans. I'm sure they'll be glad to have somewhere safe to sleep tonight."

Click...

Papyrus sighed, letting his arm drop to his side and tilting his head back, staring up at the ceiling of the elevator.

* * *

Anarchy ran low to the ground, arms swinging limp behind him as pillars of flame blasted into the earth just behind him, the agent of destruction barely outrunning the searing heat before jumping into the air, spinning and swinging one leg at Grillby's head, only for his flaming body to shift out of the way, Anarchy squinting his eyes in thought as he spun through, landing on his feet and jumping back away just as molten earth fired like a geyser from the earth where he'd once stood.

Anarchy landed on his feet, skidding back as his shadow lifted from his feet, reaching up behind him and forming an overhang over his head, blocking the droplets of lava from striking their master.

 _So... Fire body is too mobile to get a clean hit on._ Anarchy analyzed as he watched Grillby, who stood with his hands in his pockets, flames rising from the ledge behind him, spiraling up in twisting torrents of fury. _But, he's dodging, which means if I **do** hit him... _

Anarchy smiled at the thought, his shadow sinking back to its 2D state under his feet as he held his crowbar out to his side.

*Aim for his body. All fire burns from something. He must have some type of core to protect.

Anarchy fired off the earth, launching at Grillby and closing the distance rapidly, Grillby's flaming spirals launching at The Anarchist, who suddenly spun himself life a drill, maneuvering between the attacks and at Grillby, who was quick to jump back, unable to gauge where the attack would becoming from with Anarchy's rapid spinning.

Anarchy's fist launched from his spiraling, his body straightening out as he slammed his knuckles into Grillby's cheeks, the fire elemental's eyes widening and his glasses cracking before he was launched over the edge and sent plummeting into the lava, his body smoldering and flame dwindling from just one punch.

Anarchy skidded to a stop, pulling his smoldering fist back to himself and narrowing his eyes down at the lava below, before his eyes widened and he stepped back, two whips of white hot flames firing up from the magma and latching onto the ceiling above.

In the next instant, Grillby yanked himself from the lava and into the air above Anarchy, body alight in the same scorching, white hot flames, rage burning in his eyes as he let go of the whips he held onto, opening both palms down to the Anarchist.

 **"Burn."**

A simple command from a man of few words just before that scorching white light exploded from his palms in two beams of heat, racing down to Anarchy before he had time to escape, his ruby eyes and his sharp toothed grin widening just before he was engulfed in Grillby's Hellfire.

Grillby's body boiled with fury as he floated there in the sky above Anarchy, his jaw clenching with exertion as the white slowly faded from him, his flames dimming to blue and then to orange, and eventually to a dim red as his Hellfire attack dimmed and flickered, before it went out, and Grillby fell back to the earth, stumbling and struggling to remain on his feet before the sea of smoke and steam he'd scorched Anarchy in.

Grillby's eyes struggled to stay open as he looked into the smoke, his chest heaving for breath as his head fell forward once more, his neck unable to support it's weight in his exhaustion.

"Hah... Hah..."

Footsteps.

Grillby managed to lift his head, looking into the smoke with narrowed eyes.

Anarchy's now bare right foot stepped through the smoke, his shoe and his pant leg up to his knee seeming to have been scorched away.

The Anarchist pushed into Grillby's line of vision. He was hunched over, his clothes in tatters. His shirt was entirely burnt away, revealing skin that ranged from a deep red to a bleeding, bubbling black flesh-tar. Both of his shoes had been destroyed, and the bottoms of his feet were coated in the molten rubber, which left black gunk sticking to the earth with each step.

But the most disturbing of Anarchy's injuries of was not his bubbling flesh or his rubber-fused feet. No, it was the fact that the left side of his face had been nearly completely destroyed. His flesh was melted and bleeding, left as a bleeding black mass that one could see parts of his skull through. All that had survived was his left eye, which gleamed red, his half skeletal mouth still curved up in a grin.

"... You..." Grillby managed to say through his huffing and panting. His body felt cold.

Crimson steam ran from Anarchy's molten body, what remained of his flesh gradually healing and resealing as DETERMINED flames flickered to life across his torched flesh.

"... Are you immortal..?"

A jolt.

Grillby's eyes widened, his jaw dropping as he lurched forward, causing his glasses to fall from his face, shattering on the earth below.

Slowly, Grillby's vision focused in on Anarchy's forearm piercing through his chest. His body flickered and withered, flame becoming a sickly black smoke as he slowly raised his head to look Anarchy in the eye.

Anarchy's arm jutted from Grillby's back, and in it, it held a molten core. The core scorched his fingers, but Anarchy didn't seem to mind, that red mist rising from his flesh and healing it just as quickly as it was melted away.

The Anarchist frowned as he stared deep into Grillby's lightless eyes with his own crimson ones. His face had been entirely healed, and yet his left eye still produced that red mist. He was devoid of any of his previous sadistic nature, now expressing only DETERMINATION.

"Until I drag the Angel from Heaven and into the Hell that he deserves..." Anarchy's jaw clenched, his fingers tightening on Grillby's molten core. Cracks split the softball sized stone, just before it shattered to pieces, Grillby's final breath hitching in his throat.

"I cannot die."

Grillby flickered out in the next instant, body disappearing to a waiter's smoldering clothing, leaving Anarchy standing there, staring into his own outstretched hand, the palm of which was burnt to the bone, though muscle and skin quickly wrapped back over the singed ivory.

Anarchy let his arm drop back to his side, and the crimson mist disappeared from his eye. His clothes still in tatters, he didn't seem to pay it any mind, only turning to face the one and only direction he moved in, his crowbar swinging at his side in his loose grip.

 ***Forward.**

* * *

Papyrus smiled to himself as he watched the volcans run off to meet three other volcans, the family looking very relieved to see each other.

The tall skeleton then turned away from the family, walking from the elevator and through the large, open room. It was about the size of a football field, and had multiple tents with different symbols for things like food or medical treatment. Not like the latter was necessary, every monster that Anarchy touched died. Their frail body's simply could not handle his desire to hurt. Malice was sewn into the Anarchist's very being, and LOVE bent to his will and his will alone.

As Papyrus walked, he came up on a shorter skeleton in a blue hoodie. Sans' back was to his brother, and he held a phone up to his ear, his free hand placed atop his head.

"What do you mean Alphys is gone?! Where the hell did she go?!" Sans paced back and forth, his skeletal eyes somehow looking exhausted, hand gripping the phone tightly. "People don't just _disappear_ from the evacuation zone! Keep looking!"

Sans hung up the phone, closing his sockets and rubbing his skull as Papyrus stood behind him, arching a concerned brow and slowly reaching a hand out to his brother.

"Uhm... Brother?"

Sans jumped slightly from Papyrus' touch, before he quickly spun around to face his brother, grinning wide and shaking off all previous stress.

"Heya bro. Glad to see ya made it back." Sans winked an eye shut as he looked up at his taller sibling. "It would have been pretty _rattling_ if-"

"Sans." Papyrus reached out, placing a hand on Sans' shoulder and cutting him off. Sans' feigned laid back nature faltered some, and he arched a brow, tilting his head to the side.

"You have been working for a very long time." Papyrus smiled lightly, though concern flashed clear in his eyes. "I think it might be time that you take a break."

"..." Sans just stared up at Papyrus in confusion, before closing his eyes and letting out a 'heh'.

"You're a funny guy, Papyrus." Sans shook his head. "Always telling me to work harder and stop slackin' when we're _preparing_ for a human, and now that one's shown up, you're tellin' me to take it easy... Heh..."

"..." Papyrus frowned at that, watching as Sans lowered his head, eyes narrowing and grin shrinking, those white dot pupils staring at the cement floor.

"... Maybe you were right all along." Papyrus finally spoke, Sans pupils disappearing at the sound of his words. "Maybe we shouldn't have... Maybe we shouldn't have bo-"

Sans stepped forward, leaning forward and resting his head on Papyrus' chest, making the tall skeleton's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"... Don't say it, Paps. You... Really shouldn't talk like that." Was all Sans could say, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"..." Papyrus slowly reached up, wrapping his arms around Sans and closing his eyes, trying to forget the world for just a moment. "... We all did our best, didn't we, Sans..?"

"... Yeah. Yeah, we did." Sans agreed, not lifting his head as he gradually rose his arms to return his brother's hug.

"... Then why did we lose..?"

"..."

Sans couldn't answer.

* * *

Anarchy walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets up the steps to the glass doors of MTT Hotel. It seemed that he had hit a Save Point at some point, as his clothes had been fixed from their nearly obliterated state.

His shadow fell over the glass like a dark cloud before he gripped the handles, pulling the doors apart and letting in a gust of wind. It was as if nature itself was trying to warn any living creatures inside of his arrival.

But Anarchy didn't waste a moment's thought on the wind. Not on the wind or the hotel or the ridiculous fountain of some vaguely familiar robot. Perhaps someone he'd killed? They must not have been very significant, as he didn't remember them.

No, at the moment, Anarchy was entirely focused on the little grey scale child that stood before him, staring up at him with eyes that lead to a void of nothingness. Entirely black.

Anarchy smiled at the little ghost that was CORE Frisk then, dropping his arm to his side and letting his crowbar slip into his grasp.

"... Hello." C Frisk eventually spoke, staring up at Anarchy's face with a calm expression.

The Anarchist's features were entirely coated in shadow. The only thing visible were those piercing red eyes, which inspected C Frisk. After a moment of contemplation, Anarchy suddenly swung with that crowbar, and C Frisk's hands clenched into fists, their body unflinching as that Crowbar phased right through their projection, unable to harm them.

"... Thought so." Chaos incarnate spoke, calmly raising his arm and letting his crowbar fall back into his sleeve.

"Well, now that you see you cannot harm me, would you like to talk?" C Frisk smiled sweetly, and Anarchy's ruby eyes blinked at them once or twice, before he looked up and away from them, his features remaining shadowed as he stepped right through C Frisk, continuing onward.

"H-hey!" C Frisk spun around, speed walking on their tiny legs after Anarchy, who paid them no mind. "Hold up a second!"

"If I can't kill you then I can't waste time on you." Anarchy did not turn around to face the monochromatic child, continuing to walk forward, C Frisk racing after him.

"Would it be worth your time if I said I could tell you where you are?"

Anarchy stopped walking abruptly, startling C Frisk, who accidentally walked right through him.

Frisk quickly shook their head, before spinning around on their heel to face Anarchy, placing their hands on their hips and looking up at him impatiently, tapping their tiny foot.

But, when they looked upon Anarchy's shadow dripped face, they momentarily felt their breath hitch in their throat, their impatient expression fading to one of minor unease, a sweat drop rolling down the back of their head.

Anarchy's eyes glowed an eerie crimson in the dark, the rest of his face encased in an inky black as he knelt down, a sharp toothed grin tearing up his face, a white contrast to the dark tones of the rest of his expression.

 _ **"Go on."**_

* * *

"T-there you go... It's okay..." Alphys smiled weakly, petting Endogeny, who's loosely held together body leaned against her shoulder.

The two were sat against a wall on some dark stage deep in The Core. At the center of the floor, the letters MTT were engraved.

"You're sad, right, buddy..?" Alphys looked into the void that was Endogeny's face, and the dog amalgamation responded by nuzzling up to her, making her sigh as she pet it's gooey body.

"..." Her eyes drifted up across the room, where Lemon Bread gnashed their teeth, twitchy eyes winking and wincing and blinking as they sauntered back and forth.

"... You wanna avenge them all, don't you?"

* * *

"So... Undertale, huh?" Anarchy leaned back in his chair in the restaurant of MTT Resort, cocking a brow across the table at C Frisk.

"And somebody brought me here to save the world? Probably really kickin' themselves over that one." Anarchy chuckled at that, putting his feet up on the table and his hands behind his head.

"Anarchy..." C Frisk frowned lightly, looking around Anarchy's feet to him. "Why are you doing this..?"

Anarchy frowned at that, arching a brow at C Frisk.

"What I mean is, that you have so much power and potential right at your finger tips." C Frisk clasped their hands together, resting them on the table. "Don't you think you would be happier if you made some friends? Did the right thing?"

"The right thing?" Anarchy repeated with curiosity, taking his feet from the table and quickly leaning forward, C Frisk jumping as he slammed his arms down on the table, a loud bang crashing through the quiet restaurant. "You're a funny lil' ghosty, aren'tcha?"

"I used to think a lot like you, y'know!" Anarchy reached across the table, booping C Frisk's nose, even though his finger phased right through. "Used to be cute like you too!"

"Well, as cute as albino can be, I s'pos." Anarchy shrugged with one arm as he leaned back, smirking and shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "Which, according to the kids that beat the shit outta me routinely, ain't very cute at all!"

"Back then, sweet little Anthony didn't think it was because he looked wrong, though." Anarchy shook his head. "He just wasn't being nice enough, he thought! If he just tried a _little_ harder, they'd be his friends! He was sure of it!"

If he just tried a little harder," Anarchy threw his hand up into the air, that crowbar launching up from his sleeve and into his hand, before he swung down, crashing said crowbar through the wood table and making C Frisk let out an 'Eep!', splinters flinging through the air. "Maybe mommy would stop beating him with _this_ very crowbar!"

Anarchy's grin faded with the manic joy from his eyes, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

He stared directly into the void of Frisk's eyes with his emotionless, sociopathic gaze, frowning.

Frisk felt a deep unease in Anarchy's lightless, blood colored eyes. They fidgeted, and they considered looking away. But they could not, if only for fear of what those eyes would see in them if they did.

"... And then sweet little Anthony began to think of horrible things." Though his eyes remained utterly lifeless, Anarchy's lips gradually began to curve upwards. His voice was low, so quiet that C Frisk had to listen for every word.

"Over the years, he'd grown from that small, weak little boy. All the labor he'd put in trying in vain to get the world to give him a chance and the onset of puberty had made him very strong. And though he still desperately desired to be good, to put this new strength to a helpful use..." Psychosis crept subtly back into The Anarchist's eyes as he smiled at Frisk. A warm, inviting smile.

"... A voice in his head had begun calling out to him. whispering beautifully grotesque words of vengeance, hatred, chaos..." Anarchy closed his eyes, smiling wide and happily as he tilted his head to the side.

"... Anarchy."

Frisk's eyes glossed around the room skeptically. The shadows around their table had begun to quite literally writhe and slither, eager to consume the light of the single candle between them and The Anarchist.

"But sweet Anthony, what a hero he was! He rejected me for so long, even as I prodded at his mind every second of every day!" Anarchy leaned back in his chair, suddenly energetic and expressive once more.

"Until one day, deep in the dark that he was oh so terrified of, beaten and broken by the woman meant to care for and love him when no one else would..." Anarchy slowly reached up, and C Frisk grimaced, eyes darting to his fingers, which loomed over the weak light of the candle. Of their only safety from the hissing shadows that so hungrily snapped their jaws just outside Frisk's line of vision.

"... Sweet, perfect, pure little Anthony came to a conclusion." Anarchy smiled, and his fingers pinched the dim flame of the candle, which let out a pathetic hiss as it was crushed in darkness' grasp.

C Frisk felt their heart race. They were in the pitch black darkness now. The only thing visible were those crimson eyes that bore holes in their omnipresent being.

"His parents were both crazy. His mother beat her only child within an inch of his life and locked him in the scary basement time and time again. His father was a serial killer, for Christ's sake!"

All Frisk could see were those eyes. Whatever Anarchy might be expressing through body language, they could not make out.

"Genetically, he was BORN to be ME. And everyone knew. That must be why they pushed him so. They just wanted him to reach out and take his destiny! Surely, by slaughtering them all, by becoming chaos incarnate, by destroying all in his path, he would be doing what everyone had always wanted of him!"

C Frisk gulped.

"How could I ever be nice and friendly, my dear ghosty?"

Fear struck C Frisk like a bullet. Their entire non existent body froze as they felt Anarchy reach across the table, and gently take their hand.

Touch them.

He... He shouldn't be able to do that.

If he can touch them, then..! T-then he can kill-!

 _ **"WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD WANTED ME TO BE LIKE THIS?!"**_

Frisk screamed.

Flash.

They gasped for breath, dropping to their hands and knees as they once again stood in the dim lit lobby of MTT Resort, the darkness and those glowing red eyes having disappeared all at once.

"W-... What..?" C Frisk gripped their chest, slowly lifting their other hand to look at it, their vision shaky and their heart racing.

"Just a nightmare, lil' ghosty." Anarchy grinned lightly, kneeling down in front of C Frisk, who looked up at him fearfully.

"See?" Anarchy reached out, going to pat Frisk, only for his hand to phase right through. "Not real."

"What..? But, you... How did..?" Frisk looked around themself, trying desperately to make sense of things.

"Just like everyone else." Anarchy smirked lightly, those crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "You're so terrified of me that you lose your grip on reality. You think I'm going to hurt you even though it's not even possible."

Frisk just looked to their own hands, before running them through their hair, their eyes drifting to the floor.

"So, now that I've answered your question, I'd like for you to answer mine." Anarchy frowned then, and Frisk slowly looked up, once more into his intense stare. "You said there are twenty other kids from my world here?"

"... Y-yes..." Frisk managed to speak, nodding slowly.

"Then tell me..." Anarchy opened his eyes wide, jaw clenching in a snarl as fury flared in his eyes.

 _ **"Where's Angel?"**_

"An... Gel..?" Frisk repeated with heavy confusion, making Anarchy stand, irritation creeping further into his expression.

"Yeah, Angel! The Hacker!" Anarchy threw his arms into the air with frustration. "Don't tell me he ain't somewhere in this multiverse joint, I know he is! Can feel it in my crowbar!"

"Hacker..? You mean Cter?" Frisk slowly climbed to their feet, cocking a brow at Anarchy.

"What kinna dumbass fake name is Cter?!" Anarchy exclaimed, making C Frisk jump. "Is that really what that asshole's callin' himself these days?!"

C Frisk watched as Anarchy grumbled, stomped around, and shook his head for a moment or two, before he paused, one hand over his face.

Slowly, his frown curved up into a smile, and his hand slipped down off from his face. He turned his head towards C Frisk, grinning wide.

"Thanks for your time." Anarchy spoke, before beginning to walk toward, stepping right by C Frisk. "You've given me a lot of options to consider."

Frisk's tiny hands clenched into fists. This had been the exact opposite of what they'd came here to do.

But...

They turned around, watching Anarchy walk away, before the albino stopped, and he looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, and, Frisk?"

"Yes..?"

 **"This conversation never happened."**

Could a creature like this... Like _him_... Really be reasoned with..?

* * *

"I can't see me lovin' nobody but you!"

Smile clear on his face, Anarchy sang his way through the dark core. Crooked on his head, he wore some unfortunate Madjick's hat, and in his hand he twirled some Knight Knight's morning star.

As a Final Froggit jumped out before the Anarchist, he broke into a short tap dancing routine, before spinning, jumping into the air, and throwing that morning star, sending it flinging through the air and directly into Final Froggit's skull, dusting him instantly.

"For all my liiiiiife~!" Anarchy landed on one foot, pirouetting through the dust before leaping with one leg extended forward and the other back, his hands still pointing up into the air.

He landed with another twirl, hitting a Save Point with his foot before turning to the metal door before him. He promptly cocked back his head, smiling and humming as he rapidly headbutted the door, denting the metal over and over before the door finally exploded off it's hinges, flinging out onto the stage before him. It seemed that knowing that his target was in this world where he reigned supreme with super human powers had put him in a significantly better mood.

But that _name_! As if that moron didn't jump between identities enough, now he's telling this new world that he's _Cter_?

"... Hey." Alphys spoke as Anarchy entered the room. She looked... Tired. Her mouth was created down in a frown, and large bags formed under her eyes.

Anarchy paused as he happened upon the yellow, reptilian monster. Normally, such a meek and pathetic presence wouldn't have awoken him from thinking of Angel of all people, but, when he stared into those tired, lifeless eyes. When he saw the lightless, deep green of her irises, and the bags under her sockets that came with late night after late night...

 _"You always wanna pull all nighters, Angel! Don't you ever sleep?"_

 _"Sleep is for the weak, Anny."_

Anarchy's jaw clenched, memories long blocked out resurfacing in his mind.

"So... This is you. The 'human' that's been... Well. You know what you've done. I don't have to repeat it to you." Alphys blinked her cold eyes. Funny that now, before this terrifying angel of death, she would feel steady and confident in each word she spoke.

 _"Anthony... What did you **do**?" _

_"Anthony's gone. And Anarchy **does not. Remember you**." _

His fangs bared, Anarchy's eyes went wide, his pupils shrinking. Goose bumps ran along his skin, and his mane of white hair began to stand on end.

"... Do you remember them?" Alphys asked, tilting her head to the side. "Any of the people you've killed? Do you feel any regret at all?"

 _"... Anthony..?"_

 _"Hacker, I already told you not to-"_

 _"Do you ever feel bad about it..? Do you ever just lay down and think about all the mistakes you've made? Just... Sit around and kick yourself for the people you've left behind and let down and stabbed in the back and-... Sorry. I'm, probably barking up the wrong tree here."_

 _"... Go to bed, Angel."_

Anarchy snarled, yanking back his arm and causing his crowbar to fling back from his sleeve and into his grasp, before he threw his arm forward, sending his crowbar sailing across the room at Alphys.

But just before the cruel steel reached it's next victim, the ground at her feet burst up in a strange white goop, which quickly took form before her, that crowbar splatting directly into the strange being's chest.

Anarchy's eyes narrowed, watching as Lemon Bread took its form before him, looking over its shoulder and watching as Alphys took a step back through the doorway at the other side of the room.

Alphys smiled a remorseless, depraved smile as she lifted some kind of remote, pushing a button on it and waving at Anarchy, just before steel doors slammed shut in front of her and behind Anarchy, trapping him in the room with the horrific creature before him.

 _Amalgam Remix_ by _Kamex and Retrospecter_ began playing.

Anarchy snarled at Lemon Bread, who snarled right back, the two vicious animals preparing to square off when Endogeny lunged from the darkness behind Anarchy, latching onto his back and sinking the claws of its six paws into Anarchy, its hole where a face should be spiking with fangs before it viciously tore into Anarchy's shoulder.

Anarchy roared with anger, reaching over his shoulders and grabbing Endogeny, tearing the beast from his back and throwing it at a wall, which it slammed against, denting the metal and slipping to the ground, losing its form in its own mush, gradually squeezing back to its regular form.

Tears in his shirt and blood now running from multiple cuts in his back and the bite mark that tore through his shoulder, Anarchy cocked back one fist, Lemon Bread gnashing it's enormous teeth as it slid across the floor towards him.

Anarchy threw his fist forward, sending it slamming directly into Lemon Bread's face, stopping the amalgamate dead in its tracks and making a shock wave reverberate through it's only semi-solid body before it blasted back through the air, Anarchy's crowbar falling from it's chest and clanging to the ground at Anarchy's feet, Lemon Bread slammed into the steel doors at the other side of the room and splattered apart across the wall.

Anarchy stomped down on one end of the crowbar, making it fling up into the air, which he snatched it from just as Endogeny lunged at him once more. He swung his crowbar viciously, smashing it into the side of Endogeny's head and throwing the canine creature across the room, slamming into the wall opposite to where Lemon Bread was reforming, it's upper body exploding to puddles before it's writhing mass began to slid back towards it's core to reform.

Anarchy's jaw clenched, his head turning from side to side to look between Endogeny and Lemon Bread, who both let out sickening, guttural noises and groans as their blobs amassed, their sights set on the Anarchist.

 _What the fuck are these things?_ Anarchy's eyes narrowed, his knuckles whitening from how tightly he was gripping his crowbar.

Anarchy jumped into the air as the amalgamates lunged at him once more, looking down to see Endogeny and Lemon Bread collide, their body's twisting together and swirling up at him, their jaws snapping together viciously.

Anarchy grabbed onto an inactive stage light, of which there were many on the ceiling, his other arm dangling with his legs as he stared down at the amorphous mass of primal rage that stretched into the air, swaying and dripping it's white body all over the floor as it reached up towards Anarchy.

The Anarchist growled, letting go of the stage light and plummeting down towards the amalgamates as he yanked his crowbar above his head with both hands.

He dropped right down towards the massive maw of the beast, swinging down and smashing directly through the amalgamate's face, it's body puffing quickly out to the sides before popping like a balloon around Anarchy's assault, white goop exploding outwards and splattering all along the walls around Anarchy, who was knelt in the very center of the stage, glancing between the walls of already writhing flesh with narrowed eyes.

Chunks of white flung from the walls to one place, swirling together into one amorphous blob before one of Lemon Bread's arms broke free from the mass, claws digging into the ground and dragging Lemon Bread's forming body towards Anarchy.

"Be honest with me, candy corn teeth." Anarchy stood, holding his crowbar out to the side as he began walking towards the forming Lemon Bread.

Lemon Bread looked up to Anarchy, snarling with rage as it's body reformed more slowly than before, wrath flaring in it's eyes as it watched Anarchy lift that crowbar over his head.

 _ **"How many times am I gonna have to kill you before you stay dead?"**_

Anarchy swung down maliciously with that cruel object, a splat resounding as Lemon Bread was once more returned to a writhing puddle.

Anarchy brought his crowbar back up above his head to strike the writhing ball that was a reforming Lemon Bread, pain tore through his back, which arched in surprise and agony.

He looked over his shoulder, finding several large dog fang like objects stabbing into his back, tearing through his shirt and staining it red with his blood, which was slowly oozing from the wounds.

Snarling, The Anarchist turned to face Endogeny, who leaned back, straightening it's two front paws out in front of it and growling, preparing to lunge for another strike.

"COME ON!" Anarchy threw his arms out to the side, manic rage flaring in his eyes before Endogeny lunged at him, and Anarchy yanked back his fist, throwing it forward and right into the void of teeth in Endogeny's head, his grin only widening in masochistic glee as his blood spewed from Endogeny's lack of a face.

In the next instant, Anarchy clenched his fist inside Endogeny, and shadow exploded from the dog like beast, tearing it's fragile form to shreds and splattering it along the walls.

Anarchy panted lightly, looking to his shredded and bloodied arm. His blood splattered to the ground, and the sleeve of his shirt had been destroyed.

Suddenly, Anarchy's eyes darted over his shoulder, Lemon Bread exploding back into it's form behind him and looming over him, opening it's maw wide.

He spun around, swinging his shredded fist at the beast's face, only for that arm to be caught by the wrist in one of Lemon Bread's large claws, Anarchy's ripped up muscles not being able to overpower the lemon scented abomination's powerful arms.

Lemon Bread was quick to grab Anarchy's other arm, lurching forward and sinking it's huge maw into Anarchy's shoulder, the Anarchist roaring in pain as he was shoved back, Lemon Bread gnawing on his shoulder and a good portion of his chest while it slammed him into one of the walls of the room.

Anarchy roared with exertion, and red began to steam from his wounded arm and back just before he threw up one leg, kicking up directly into Lemon Bread's chin and making it throw it's head back, taking a chunk of Anarchy's flesh with it and making crimson fly up high enough to hit the rafters above.

Anarchy cocked back one fist, continuing to roar at he top of his lungs as he threw his fist forward into Lemon Bread's face, firing the beast downward and sending it slamming onto it's back, a shock wave exploding through the room and a crater blasting to life under Lemon Bread's writhing body.

Anarchy continued to scream with rage, DETERMINED red smoking off of his body as he cocked back punch after punch, continuously smashing Lemon Bread's reforming body, shock wave after shock wave rocking the very Underground with each strike.

Lethal blow after lethal blow devastated Lemon Bread's writhing mass, time and time again, until Lemon Bread's mass no longer writhed. Until the DETERMINATION thrust upon these many souls in one was beaten back out of them, and their horrific body crumbled to ash.

Panting, Anarchy stood, dusting white slop splattered up his cheek, making a line just under his cold, crimson eye. The music stopped.

Looking from the pile of dust that was his resilient victim, his lifeless eyes rested upon the now reformed Endogeny, who growled and whimpered at once, not daring approach the Anarchist.

"... It's scary now, isn't it?" Anarchy's eyes narrowed, his crowbar sliding from his one remaining sleeve. Ruby red steam floating from his skin, he began stepping towards the many frightened dogs in one. "Now that you understand you can die."

Endogeny barked once in a futile warning, but Anarchy continued to walk forward undeterred.

"Now that you're here, trapped by the one who was supposed to take care of you. Alone in the dark with a monster the likes of which you've never seen." Anarchy frowned, his knuckles whitening as his grip tightened on that crowbar.

"And as you lay quivering, beaten, bloody... A voice speaks from deep inside you." Anarchy's hair shadowed his eyes, and he almost smirked. " _I don't want to die_."

Endogeny began taking slow steps back as Anarchy took slow steps forward. Around the two, the shadows writhed and cheered, eager for a blood bath.

"You want to make her proud, don't you? The woman who made you a monster?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side, and his hair moved, the shadows revealing his left eye. This eye glowed a dim red light in the dark, the very dark which somehow seemed to be radiating from the eye's edges, a terrifying blackness smoking gently into the wretched air of the room. "You and I really are so alike."

*Put on a show for mommy, won't you? My sweet, sweet child...

Endogeny turned it's head to look to the crowbar Anarchy held out to the side.

 _Anything for you, mother dearest._

* * *

A thud.

A bang.

A crash.

And finally...

The door from the stage was blasted open, Endogeny's dusting body riding the metal down the hallway and slamming into the wall as the hallway made a sharp turn, the metal doors crumbled around what was left of Endogeny's body.

Anarchy didn't bat an eye as he walked from the stage, only dust remaining of his foe by the time he'd walked to the crumpled door, where he turned thoughtlessly down the hallway, making his way to the elevator at it's end.

Anarchy stopped before the elevator, and for a moment or two, he was entirely still. Lost in a trance, he could feel something. Deep below. Breathing. Shivering. Cowering.

Without a word, he stepped forward, reaching out with pale fingers and gripping where the two doors met and taking grip on the small crack between the two. His muscles strained, his jaws clenching as slowly but surely the doors budged, and he parted them, pushing each back into their respective wall and looking into the dark elevator shaft before him.

Anarchy took a step forward, looking down into the depths below him with a blank expression.

It itched.

Without hesitation, the Anarchist stepped forward onto nothing, hands in his pockets as he instantly plummeted into the dark.

* * *

"Alphys what on Earth were you thinking going up there?!" Papyrus exclaimed, Alphys not so much as looking up to make eye contact. "You're far too important! You can't be taking risks like that!"

Alphys didn't speak. Her eyes just narrowed at the ground. All she could do is wait now.

"Alphys? Alphys are you even listening?"

The amalgamates are unkillable. They're vicious, and they're DETERMINED. There's no way that this human will be able to-

And then it happened.

Everyone's eyes all darted to the elevator at once, a crash rocking the underground. In one vicious blast of dust, the entire bottom of the elevator shaft had exploded apart, metal shards flinging into the evacuation zone.

 _Preemptive Strike_ from _Goblin Slayer_ began playing.

"N-no, it... It can't be..." Papyrus's eyes were wide, and he took a step back, watching that cloud of dust that carried death and devastation deep within it's belly.

Sans could only watch just like the rest of the monsters, fixated on the swirling cloud of smoke with pupiless sockets.

Alphys slowly turned to face the cloud of doom, her jaw clenching and her eyes narrowing, a cold sweat making it's way down her scales.

They could all feel it, every single monster at once.

The room was entirely silent. They all held their breath.

Footsteps echoed. The smoke shifted.

Yes, as those piercing crimson eyes peered from the dark and into each and every monster soul that remainedo n this unforgiving earth, they could all feel it. The creeping sickness that Anarchy carried. His desire to hurt them. To destroy them. It made their hopeful, loving souls ache with its darkness.

Crowbar in hand, frown on his face, eyes cold and lifeless, Anarchy walked into the open, and he stopped.

Directly across from him, about thirty feet away, Papyrus Sans and Alphys stood, Alphys between the two skeletons.

Face expressionless, Anarchy lifted his free hand, and Alphys' heart stopped in her chest as he pointed at her, his eyes locking with hers in that single moment.

His shadow launched from the earth beneath him at lightning speed.

Blood flew through the air.

Papyrus looked to his side as everything moved in slow motion, sockets wide in terror as he saw Alphys drop to her knees, mouth hanging open and blood dripping down her chin, dust flaking from her body. Anarchy's shadow had sliced through her abdomen and out from her back as if she was made from butter.

Everything sped back up as Alphys disappeared to ash, Sans and Papyrus locking eyes, both looking up from her remains.

"Bro, now!" Sans called out, breaking the deafening silence, urgency burning in his eyes.

Papyrus nodded quickly, dropping to one knee and slamming his hands onto the ground, which instantly began to rumble.

Screams began to explode through the crowd, monsters turning and running for their lives, even though they no longer had anywhere to hide.

Anarchy paid them no mind, simply raising the arm to the sky and opening his palm. In the next instant, his shadow reached up his sleeve and exploded up into the sky, branching into hundreds of different points, which each fired down with lethal precision, monster after monster after monster being stabbed through the heart and falling to dust in mere milliseconds.

And through the utter genocide of this attack, Anarchy continued to stare forward at the two skeletons, even as enormous bones rumbled from the earth, forming a large oval of an arena around the skeletons and the Anarchist, the bones reaching up to the ceiling of the evacuation center and blocking off the shadow points from exterminating any of the few remaining monsters.

"..." Anarchy let his arm drop back to his side, before beginning to walk across the long arena towards the two poor monsters trapped in there with him.

"You ready, Papyrus?" Sans looked to Papyrus, his left eye igniting in blue. "This one's for all the marbles."

Papyrus nodded once as he looked back to his brother, his scarf blowing heroically in the wind as his right eye ignited in orange.

The two both looked back to Anarchy, who smiled as he made his way towards them, crimson streams of DETERMINATION already beginning to steam off of him.

The song switched to _Main Theme_ from _Goblin Slayer_.

Sans threw his arm out to the side, and a Gaster Blaster appeared over his right shoulder and Papyrus's left, their maws lighting up with searing energy before screaming free, racing through the air to meet Anarchy.

Dust exploded through the air, Anarchy not moving at all as the beams exploded against him, the two skeletons squinting into the plume of smoke.

The smoke exploded open in the next instant, Anarchy firing from it and grinning wide as he cocked back that crowbar across his chest, launching right at Sans.

But just as Anarchy swung that crowbar, the force of his malice was met with the resilience of Papyrus's kindness, the taller skeleton stepping between the Anarchist and his brother and holding up a staff of bone, which Anarchy's crowbar smashed against, a shock wave of force exploding out around the two, dust being kicked up around their feet as their narrowed eyes locked.

Anarchy back flipped away from Papyrus, and just before his feet hit the ground, a ping resounded, and he only had a moment to look to the now blue soul on his chest before he was thrown face down into the concrete floor, bouncing up on his face, blood flinging in droplets from his nose and lip.

Anarchy was quick to push himself up onto his hands and knees, looking up and grinning at Sans, who held out one hand, grinning in return.

Sensing the earth beneath him trembling, Anarchy's shadow quickly dispersed, forming a pitch black circle under him just before a loud rumble and the shattering of bones, shards of which protruded from the earth around Anarchy's shield on the ground.

Sans' eyes narrowed, and he quickly threw his hand forward, sending him launching back down the arena towards the back wall, where more bones exploded from the wall, forming jagged points that were eager for Anarchy's foul blood.

Anarchy's jaw clenched as he was thrown back through the air, his feet dragging across the floor and causing two trails of dust to follow said feet. Rapidly, Anarchy began to slow down, much to Sans' surprise.

Red streaming up from his sealing face wounds, Anarchy grinned wickedly as he came to a stop before reaching the bones, his soul beginning to shine red through the blue that Sans was attempting to trap it in.

Sans grunted with exertion, keeping one arm extended and grabbing said arm by the elbow with his free hand to help hold it in place, desperately trying to push Anarchy back, even as the Anarchist managed to lift his feet, slowly, one after the other, beginning to stomp forward as more and more red broke through.

Papyrus quickly threw one arm up into the air, opening his palm before clenching a fist around it as yet another giant bone appeared high above Anarchy, who looked up onto as Papyrus threw his arm down, the bone plummeting down towards the Anarchist.

In an instant, Anarchy's shadow fired up in a pyramid around him, meeting to one thin point and slicing through the giant bone, it's two halves falling and exploding into the earth, throwing dust into the air as the concrete shattered.

Sans quickly let go of Anarchy's soul, seeing that attempting to restrain the monstrosity was impossible as he threw his arms out to the sides, opening his palms as wave after wave of small, pointed bones appeared behind him, before he threw his hands forward, and the bones fired across the arena and into the smoke, which Anarchy launched from, running low to the ground and directly into the bones.

His arm swung back and forth at rapid speeds, smashing bone after bone aside as he approached the two. Just as he blasted free from the wave of bones, Papyrus raced forward, bringing up his staff and spinning it over his head before swinging down at Anarchy, who reached down and placed his hands on the ground, cartwheeling around Papyrus's side and landing on his feet, yanking his crowbar back and swinging at the tall skeleton's back, only for him to spin around, swinging that staff as Anarchy swung his crowbar, the two objects smashing together and creating another shock wave as good collided with evil once more.

The two jumped back away from each other, and Anarchy dove into the air as bones exploded from beneath him, flipping in air and swinging down at Papyrus, who stepped to the side, pulling back his staff and slamming the bottom of it into Anarchy's chin, knocking him off his balance and giving Papyrus time to pull back his free hand, where a light blue bone appeared in his grasp just before the tall skeleton lunged forward, pulling back that bone and ramming it forward, only for it to phase through Anarchy's chest, making his soul shift back to blue.

Feeling the weight of gravity suddenly tug him down coupled with him already being off balance, Anarchy's eyes went wide, and he tumbled backwards onto the ground, only for him to grunt, placing his hands on the ground behind his head and kicking up in spite of his extra weight, slamming one foot into Papyrus's raised staff and back flipping off of it, landing on his feet and stumbling slightly, growling with exertion.

Anarchy snarled as Payrus lunged forward and cocked back that staff, his shadow exploding out around him and firing up at Papyrus, who's eyes widened as he brought up that staff grunting as the shadow stabbed into the staff, Papyrus landing back on the ground and skidding back from the shadow's force.

Just as Papyrus shoved the one shadow aside however, he looked up to see many more points flinging viciously into the air, each one turning quickly to focus on him.

But just as it seemed the shadows were about to strike, a circle of Gaster Blasters appeared above them from thin air, firing their beams of light and momentarily obliterating the dark, the beams firing through the shadows and lighting up Anarchy in their fury.

Papyrus jumped back away from the light show, his eyes widening at the writhing shadow that was Anarchy amidst that pillar of white hot light. He watched as it shifted, reaching up in vain to block the waves of agony that washed down from above, only for it's hand to be obliterated, only for it's hand to reform. It stumbled from side to side, grabbing at it's own scorched body before eventually crumpling to the ground.

Sans panted heavily, sweat beginning to run down his skull before his hand dropped, and the beams of the Gaster Blaster's flickered out, before the blasters themselves disappeared from sight.

"Are you alright?" Papyrus put a hand on Sans' shoulder, kneeling at his side as the music faded out.

"Heh... Never better..." Sans grinned tiredly, giving Papyrus a thumbs up. Papyrus smiled lightly at Sans' reassurance, looking quite relieved.

STAB.

Sans' eyes went wide, pupils disappearing from them. Slowly, a stream of red gently trickled from between his teeth, running down his chin and dripping down onto the black spike that had reached up from behind him and pierced through his back and out his chest.

Papyrus's sockets went wide in horror, his mouth hanging open as the spike yanked itself free from Sans' body, the skeleton's shadow returning to normal as he dropped to his knees, before falling to his side and into Papyrus's arms.

"S-Sans!" Papyrus cried out, bewilderment and terror apparent on his expression.

"P... Papyrus..." Sans's pupils glowed dimly, staring up at the ceiling. "H-help... Me..."

"D-don't worry, Sans! You're okay to be okay!" Papyrus shook his head, tears forming in his eyes. "Just hold on!"

"Help... Me... Think of a... Pun..." Sans spoke quietly and softly, his expression unchanging.

"W-what..?" Papyrus looked to Sans with wide, tearful eyes.

"Somethin' about... Being afraid... Of your own shadow..." Sans' grin edged upwards only slightly, dust flaking off of his skull as Papyrus took his hand, which was frail and clammy. "Hard to... Think... Tired..."

"... You've worked very hard today, Sans." Papyrus said after a moments pause, looking into Sans' distant eyes. "You should take a short nap at your post."

"What if... Human comes through..." Sans' voice was below a whisper his hand becoming dust in Papyrus's grip, his legs already having disappeared to ash.

"A human hasn't come through that door in years, brother." Papyrus smiled gently, a tear dropping from his eye socket and onto Sans' face, though Sans didn't seem to notice. "I'm sure one won't be coming through today. Rest as long as you need."

"... Thanks... Bro..." Sans' grin widened only a little.

"You're... The... Coolest..."

Papyrus's hands clenched on the dusty blue sweatshirt that was left in his arms, more tears slipping down his skeletal cheeks, his body trembling gently.

Footsteps echoed across the concrete, and Papyrus looked up from his mourning to more pressing matters.

Anarchy's body stepped from the dust, his expression blank and lifeless. His shirt was entirely destroyed, revealing the hundreds of scars that marked his muscular upper body. Red steam lifted from his flesh, a few parts alight in crimson flames, which only seemed to be sealing the wounds they were planted on.

Anarchy walked closer and closer, before coming to a stop in front of Papyrus, standing over the kneeling, kindhearted skeleton.

"... Will you hunt down the few that escaped?" Papyrus asked with narrowed eyes, a bead of sweat running down his skull.

"They aren't worth my time anymore." Anarchy spoke flatly and honestly.

"... Did you ever have a family?" On deaths doorstep, Papyrus continued to ask his executioner questions, tilting his skull to the side. "Was anyone or anything ever special to you?"

"..." Anarchy's stoic expression did not change at all. "... Yes."

"... I don't understand you." Papyrus's head lowered, his eyes drifting to the sweatshirt in his arms. "With your power, your potential... You could have saved everyone. Been everyone's friend. Been the hero that the Underground needed. Doesn't that sound... So much nicer than this..?"

"... Yes." Anarchy blinked calmly. "Yes it does."

"Then _why_?" Papyrus looked back up to Anarchy, the burning desire for the truth in his eyes. "Why have you chosen this path?"

"... What is your name?" A simple question, but not one the Anarchist cared to ask many.

"The Great Papyrus." Papyrus frowned, eyes narrowing as he clutched that sweatshirt protectively to his chest. "Brother of Sans, final member of the Royal Guard."

"... The Great Papyrus." Slowly, his shadow crept up, pulling itself back behind the albino, looming and preparing to strike like some kind of scorpion stinger. Anarchy smiled sadly. "My name is Anthony."

"And the truth is that this is the only path I deserve to walk."

* * *

"... So, you've finally made it." Asgore stared down at Anarchy, who stared right back up at him. The king of monsters and the exterminator of monsters stood in that garden, staring into each other's eyes with stoic expressions.

"Tell me, how does it feel?" Asgore asked, his trident planted firmly in the earth next to him, his large hand wrapped around it's handle.

"It doesn't." Anarchy responded without a second thought, unblinking before the king.

"... I see." Asgore turned around then, beginning to walk towards the door at the back of the Throne Room. "Follow me."

Anarchy complied, not in a rush and not hesitant as he walked after Asgore. He followed him through a grey hallway and to another large door, which swung open before the king.

The two stepped into one large room, alight in moonlight. At the back wall of the room, the air shimmered, like there was some kind of invisible force resting there. But beyond that, one could see the exit to a large cave, and in the sky, stars twinkled, and a full moon shun clear.

"Is this the moment you've been waiting for?" Asgore slammed his trident down onto the ground, and six slots in the floor opened. Six glass containers jutted from the stone of the floor, each holding a different colored human soul. "Is this what you want?"

"..." Anarchy threw his arm out to the side, his crowbar sliding from his sleeve and into his grasp. "No. This is a stepping stone."

Asgore's lips curved up, and he chuckled lightly at that.

"Our lives really mean so little to you, do they not?" Asgore smirked lightly, watching the Anarchist with his tired eyes.

"Yes." Anarchy responded once more without hesitation or a change in expression.

"It's been that way for far too long with you humans. Perhaps the surface isn't what I remember." Asgore closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"If it's twisted humans to become unfeeling beasts like you, then perhaps we were safer down here all along."

Anarchy didn't speak. His red soul appeared on his chest, and he held that crowbar tightly.

Asgore didn't speak. He squared his footing, pointing that trident out at Anarchy.

STAB.

Asgore's eyes widened, slowly drifting down to the vines that protruded from his chest, it's barbs stained with blood.

"W-... What..?"

His body collapsed to ash, and Anarchy merely cocked a brow with some confusion, watching that shaking, white soul rise from the dust, floating pathetically in front of him, just before a petal fired out and pierced the soul, shattering it to pieces.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Flowey cackled from across the room, and six shatters filled Anarchy's ears as vines broke through the containers the souls were in, wrapping around them and dragging them back to Flowey. "Remember me?!"

"Not at all, no." Anarchy shook his head, expression remaining unimpressed.

Flowey snarled at that, before his face was encompassed in one huge grin.

"Well!"

The souls were dragged into Flowey's very being, and white light began to flash from the flower, making Anarchy squint his eyes.

"YOU WILL!"

Flash.

* * *

Anarchy found himself sitting up in a black void, frown clear on his face as he reached over, not even having to look to know exactly where his crowbar lay.

The Anarchist climbed to his feet, crowbar in hand as he glanced from side to side, some confusion on his expression, before suddenly he heard the sound of static, and the eerie grey light of a television screen shun down upon him, making him look up to what appeared to be Flowey's grinning face on a screen.

"Howdy! It's me, Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" Flowey winked an eye shut and stuck his tongue out, looking very proud of himself.

"Not ringin' any bells." Anarchy said simply, shrugging lightly, small frown clear on his face.

Flowey growled, his eyes narrowing at Anarchy.

"Alright, fine! I know you aren't too talkative a guy, so I'll make it simple!"

From the shadows, a horrific, viney creature stepped. It had two massive arms and one freakish, fleshy maw. Vines and wires ran from that screen that Flowey's face was on, which was slapped dead in the center of the beast.

"I've got SIX human souls! This means I'm basically a GOD!" Flowey cackled, throwing his head back.

Anarchy seemed completely unphased by this nightmare creature, just staring up and listening to Flowey speak.

"But to completely ascend, I need YOUR freaky little soul!" Flowey threw his head back down, looming over Anarchy.

Anarchy smiled at that. He smiled and he held his crowbar out to the side and red began to steam from his body once more.

Flowey's eyes narrowed, and he smirked lightly down at Anarchy.

"Are you really that cocky, mister Anarchist?" Flowey spoke condescendingly. "Do you honestly believe you can face a god?"

"Oh, flower, flower..." Anarchy shook his head, smirk clear on his face. "I'd like for you to tell me..."

Anarchy looked up to Flowey then, grinning from ear to ear as shadow slipped over his face, only that shining white grin and that burning red left eye visible in the darkness.

 **"WHAT IS A GOD TO A NONBELIEVER?"**

The shadows around them writhed and hissed, the blackness of the void that Flowey's transformation had created only serving to Anarchy's advantage as sickly maws full of black teeth launched from the darkness like terrifying black worms, latching onto Flowey's giant arms and tearing through the vines, making Flowey let out an "Aah!" of pain, his screen shifting to a hard to make out face screaming for only a moment, shifting back to normal there after.

"How dare you?!" Flowey pushed his huge body up on those giant arms, two enormous eyes splitting open on that fleshy beak that was at his center, which then opened, white light shining from deep inside that beast's open mouth, a tidal wave of white energy exploded free and racing towards Anarchy, who bent at the knees, jumping and launching himself high into the air, Flowey's eyes darting up to him.

Anarchy yanked back one arm, shadows slipping up his sleeve before he threw it forward, a spike of shadow firing forward at lightning speed and slicing clean through one of the two giant vines just above Omega Flowey's giant arms, Omega Flowey falling to that side and crashing to the earth, a shock wave blasting across the void from his powerful impact.

Flowey cried out with rage, opening one giant, three clawed hand to Anarchy, who was falling down towards him. Giant locust fired from Flowey's palm, racing up towards Anarchy, who just cackled with glee as he pulled back that crowbar, smashing the locusts aside as they came and sending their green blood splattering through the air and over the right side of his face, though he didn't seem to mind in any way.

Flowey once more lifted that giant maw, feeling a sudden terror as Anarchy rapidly got closer with that crowbar. Another wave of white energy exploded from the depths of Flowey's monstrous body, racing up at Anarchy.

Anarchy threw his arms up in an X just before he was engulfed, being blasted high into the air, the beam of white hot wrath carrying him high into the endless void.

As Flowey's support vine reattached as he steadied himself, he watched Anarchy's scorched body plummet from the sky, and his jaw clenched when he watched the scorched body flip in air, landing on it's feet far in the distance.

And the moment Anarchy landed, though his skin was burnt and his clothes torn to tatters, he exploded off the ground, sprinting right back to Flowey. As he did so, flames of red burst to life across his body, rapidly healing his many wounds.

"Damn it! Why won't you just die?!" Flowey threw his arms back to his sides, and hundreds of sharp vines blasted from them, racing across the void towards Anarchy.

Anarchy jumped, landing on the first vine to smash into the earth before him and racing up it. His shadow rapidly whipped around him, slicing away vine after vine with lethal precision as Anarchy raced ever closer, sweat appearing on Flowey's face behind that screen, before a flamethrower appeared from thin air, breathing fire down upon Anarchy, who carelessly jumped through the flames, bursting through and right at Flowey's face.

Flowey quickly swung one weighty arm, his entire body swinging with it as the arm slammed into Anarchy's side, Anarchy lifting his forearm and his knee to take the brunt of the force, his eyes wincing as the shock wave of force exploded into him, throwing him across the void at a rapid speed.

"What's the matter, flower?!" Anarchy's voice was high with manic glee as he flipped in air, shadows firing around him from his back and right back into Flowey, piercing the giant arm he threw up to block them and sending green blood spraying through the air. The shadows rapidly pulled Anarchy right back towards his latest victim. "Afraid you'll die in one hit just like everybody else?!"

Flowey snarled, throwing his arm to the side and tearing in free from the shadows, momentum still launching Anarchy forward as a wave of bombs appeared between the two, firing at Anarchy, who brought up his knees and threw his arms up in an X to block from the massive explosion that hit him, sending him firing back to the earth, which he slammed into back first, skidding across before he flipped up onto his hands and feet, continuing to skid back as red flames spiraled up from his scorch marks, healing them.

As Anarchy skidded, shadows lifted from his hands in front of him, manifesting from the dark void that surrounded them into one Omega Flowey sized, sharp toothed worm creature, which launched itself across the void to devour the flower, gnashing it's monstrous teeth hungrily.

Flowey lifted that beak, which opened for a third time, another massive wave of white light exploding free and blasting into the shadow worm and tearing it apart.

Flowey laughed victoriously, before his eyes widened in horror, watching Anarchy launch from the worm's body just as it was destroyed, flying high into the air above Flowey and cocking back one fist, Flowey's horrified eyes locking right on him.

Anarchy roared with DETERMINATION as he plummeted from the sky and red flames began to ignite around that fist he cocked back, the skin on that arm beginning to crack apart, crimson shining through.

"N-no! Wait-!"

With one triumphant roar, Anarchy sent his fist exploding right into Flowey's screen, making a shock wave blast out across the endless void. Red flames exploded back up Anarchy's arm and out from his shoulder, firing high into the sky in one long DETERMINED beam.

Flowey's screen cracked apart, his face frozen in horror on it just before the screen shattered into the air, and a second wave of force resounded, Flowey's giant body being rag dolled across the void, flinging through the air before eventually hitting the ground and skidding rapidly, gradually slowing to a stop.

Anarchy dropped to the ground, landing on his feet and bending at the knees slightly from the force of his drop before standing back up straight, beginning to walk towards Flowey's already wilting body.

As Anarchy walked, though, he watched six strange, humanoid outlines come to life from the shattered screen that lay on the ground before Flowey's crumpled up body. They all looked to range from being the size of a young child to a teenager Anarchy's age, and they were each a different color that Anarchy recognized from the souls Flowey had stolen.

The light blue soul, which seemed to have some type of ribbon atop it's head, rushed towards Anarchy, pulling back a small, knife shaped object. Anarchy paid it no mind, his shadow launching out and tearing through the strange light shape, making it dissipate into thin air.

Next a dark blue soul in some kind of tutu lunged at him, jumping above him and kicking at his head with a shoe knife, only for Anarchy to duck under the kick. The blue ghost landed behind him, and when he stood up straight, there were back to back, before shadow fired from Anarchy's back, tearing through the after image's chest and making it disappear into nothing.

From Anarchy's left a purple ghost in glasses rushed, cocking back some notebook to swat him with, from his right an orange ghost wearing a bandanna rushed closer, pulling back it's fist. And from directly ahead of him a green ghost wearing an apron cocked back a frying pan, rushing him as well. Anarchy did not look at them, his shadow simply splitting into three and stabbing through the three ghosts, making them disappear.

As Anarchy reached Flowey's open screen, a golden soul stood between him and it, taking aim on him with a revolver, cowboy hat on it's head. Anarchy's shadow reached up, swirling into a circle and blocking the rapid fire of gold bullets before stabbing forward and piercing the ghost's chest, making it disappear.

"H-... How..?"

Anarchy knelt down in front of the destroyed screen, looking to Flowey, who was planted inside, head hung low.

"I-I... I had all that power... All that DETERMINATION... And I wasn't even half as DETERMINED as you..." Flowey slowly looked up at Anarchy, fear flashing in his eyes as he stared into the crimson eyes of his killer. "How..?"

"You were afraid of me." Anarchy frowned, reaching into the screen and plucking Flowey from the corpse and standing, holding him in front of his face. "Deep down you didn't think you could win, so you didn't. I believed I would beat you with one punch, so I did."

"B-But..."

Anarchy opened his sharp maw then, his long tongue slipping out and reaching out towards Flowey.

"N-no, wait! P-Plea-!"

Anarchy bit Flowey's head clean off, chomping down and tearing his head to the side, killing Flowey instantly.

"... Mm." Anarchy swallowed, tossing Flowey's stem aside. "Bitter and sour and salty all at once. Very sad flavor."

Anarchy stepped forward, walking onto one of the wilting, grey arms of what was left of Omega Flowey.

As he stood atop his kill, looking about the void, he began to wonder what was next. And, as if to answer him, shadow began to rise before him. It began to drip from above. Slowly, it shaped into a rectangular box before him. One word engraved on it.

 **ERASE**

No brainer.

Anarchy reached out, pressing the button with one hand. The moment he did, a wave of black pulsed over the land from the box, and Anarchy watched as the void around him shifted to something different. The corpse of Omega Flowey disappeared from under him, but he didn't drop onto anything. He was still standing on nothingness.

It was still pitch black, but, somehow... It felt emptier. Around him, clocks floated. They were misshapen, all at different times, some melting.

There was no sound. No light. No... Anything.

Until there was clapping.

Anarchy looked ahead, and his eyes narrowed at the figure that walked from the blackness.

"Well congratulations, my boy!" The skeleton man grinned from ear to ear, crack running down from his left eye and nearly meeting with that crescent smile of his, his right having a crack running up to the top of his skull. He wore a black suit and tie, over which he wore a white lab coat. "You really did it!"

Anarchy's eyes narrowed at this strange man, his crowbar sliding from his sleeve as the skeleton walked closer.

"Oh, no! You needn't worry about me! I have no intention of striking up a battle with you of all people!" The skeleton waved a hand dismissively, chuckling. "Quite the opposite, actually!"

Anarchy remained silent as he met with the man there, in the center of his darkness. The two stood only a few feet apart, Anarchy having to look up at him to maintain eye contact, as the skeleton was a few inches taller than him.

"Allow me to introduce myself." Smiling reassuringly, the skeleton reached out with one hand. "Doctor Wingding Gaster, at your service."

"I didn't ask." Anarchy's eyes narrowed up at Gaster, who laughed once more, even as his handshake was ignored.

"Yes, that's true, you didn't!" Gaster waved another hand to dismiss his own laughter. Anarchy noted the holes in his palms. "Please excuse me, it's just that I am so excited to finally meet you!"

"Well I think you're the first person to say that to me in a _real_ long time, doc." Anarchy smirked lightly, hand gripped firmly on his crowbar. "You sure you don't got the wrong guy?"

"Oh no no no! You are precisely the right guy! The _perfect_ guy!" Gaster walked away then, hands behind his back as he paced excitedly. "CORE Frisk informed you of the children, yes? The twenty one game changes that are beginning a new era here in this multiverse, including you?"

"Ghosty mentioned it once or twice, yeah." Anarchy tilted his head to the side. "What about us?"

"I am a scientist sir Anarchy and I brought you here not to save my world like most of my counter parts brought their children about." Gaster turned towards Anarchy suddenly, wagging one finger. "I could not care less about the reality that you have erased! On the contrary, I think it was a great platform for you to test your power!"

"So you brought me here?" Anarchy cocked a brow. "I'm your Frankenstein's monster?"

"Oh no Anarchy you are nothing of mine! Why you could obliterate me in mere seconds with all that power within your reach!" Gaster laughed, somehow excited by the concept of his own mortality.

"If that's the case then why are you here? You're aware that everyone else who's ever crossed my path here has died horribly, right?" Anarchy shook his head lightly with confusion. "You got a death wish, doc?"

"Not at all, I see a deep value in my life!" Gaster chuckled once more. "But there is an even deeper value in your purpose!"

"My purpose, eh?" Anarchy seemed disinterested, his grip tightening on that crowbar.

"You are searching for The Hacker, yes?"

Anarchy's jaw clenched, his eyes widening and his pupils shrinking in sudden rage.

In the next instant, he had Gaster by the collar, yanking him down to eye level.

"Pick your next words _very_ carefully, doc." Anarchy spoke through gritting teeth, his crimson eyes piercing into Gaster's sockets.

"You do not know how to traverse the multiverse, Anarchy." Gaster smirked, his voice suddenly less excited and cheery. "And I'm the only one willing to tell you were to find him. Therefore, it would be in your best interest to let me live."

"... What's in it for you?" Anarchy spoke in a low growl, and Gaster's smirk widened to a grin.

"I wish to usher in a new era, my boy." Gaster spoke, and Anarchy let go of him, letting him stand back to his full height. "And to do this, I have to display that you children, specifically you and the Hacker, are like nothing this multiverse has ever laid eyes on before."

Anarchy's eyes narrowed, listening carefully.

"The Hacker has grown very powerful as well. And he will only get more and more powerful throughout his journey. When you two collide, I want it to be a cataclysm the likes of which this multiverse has never seen. I want word of it to spread like wildfire, I want every reality to know your names." Madness glimmered in the doctor's eyes, something Anarchy could easily recognize.

"... You finally got my attention, doc." Anarchy smirked lightly, watching Gaster closely. "What's your plan?"

"You let me continue to test you for awhile." Gaster's eyes narrowed, his grin remaining. "Once you're ready, I will take you to the Hacker, and you will get everything you've ever wanted."

"..." Anarchy grinned in return, and with one pale hand, he reached out, offering a handshake to the mad scientist, who was happy to take it.

"If you screw me on this doc, don't think I won't obliterate you." Anarchy spoke through his grin, staring right into Gaster's eyes, not letting go of his hand.

"You needn't worry, my dear boy." Gaster chuckled, shaking his head. "You are the most important thing in my world right now, I could never betray you."

"Good." Anarchy nodded, letting go of his hand and slipping his crowbar back up his sleeve.

 **"Now where do we start?"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	10. Chapter 10: Blinding Light

**Ssnipex, I would say you made a very fair assessment. But the question is which monster is the liar and which monster holds the truth?**

 **I'm glad to see you back madmalitiangamer. Don't think I don't remember and appreciate how long you've been with me and my stories.:)**

 **And Allagenda-domsitzers-chan it's okay lol. So long as it's not the serial killer part of Anarchy that you're relating to, you should be good.**

 **Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, Konigstiger726, Ssnipex, Gray Kanzakai, Fixer140.85, madmalitiangamer, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, istic, KZJester, Skele, welcometodalolz, and Demonfan50.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale**

* * *

 _ **Cter...**_

 _Huh..?_

 _ **Cter, it's time to wake up.**_

 _Where am I..? Did I fall asleep..?_

 _ **Oh come now, you can't be that exhausted, can you?**_

 _Who's speaking..? Chara..?_

 _ **Cter, you know I don't like being ignored.**_

 _What were we doing..?_

My eyes slowly fluttered open, and I winced from the golden light shining down. After only a moment of wincing, however, a face leaned over me, looking down at me with an honest smile.

 _Oh, right._

I smiled tiredly in return, reassured by their presence.

 _ **Cter, I told you...**_

Something that felt like a tear dropped down onto my cheek from theirs, rolling down my exhausted expression. Were they crying? I'd hate to think I'd made them that upset by keeping them waiting.

Suddenly, Chara's face came into to focus through the golden light, and my eyes widened, suddenly jolted by their pitch black eyes, which oozed black down onto me as they yanked that knife back over their head, malicious grin tearing up their face.

 _ **WAKE UP!**_

I jolted upwards, grabbing my chest and gasping for breath. I could feel icy sweat rolling down my face, and with shaky vision my eyes darted from side to side, inspecting my surroundings.

No throne. No dust. No Judgement Hall.

No Chara.

Golden petals and blinding light.

 **Chapter 10: Blinding Light**

 _"I think we'd make a wonderful team, Cter."_

* * *

"Ah, god..." I reached up to run a hand through my hair after I finished climbing to my feet, closing my aching eyes and trying to shake the cobwebs from my brain.

As I ran a hand through my hair, however, I was jolted by the crown my hand was met with, my eyebrows raising.

"Oh, right." I reached up, lifting the crown from my head and looking at it, inspecting it's gold and jewels. "Guess I probably shouldn't wear you around. Not the king anymore."

*Not that it ever mattered.

My eyes glossed down to the text box, and I frowned, just before the crown disappeared into my inventory.

Then, I turned around to face the patch of golden flowers that I'd landed on, and my eyes narrowed.

I knew from what the flowers grew. I knew who had been buried deep beneath this ground however many lifetimes ago.

"..." I sighed, lifting one hand and letting ink gently slip from my sleeve, where it formed a thin stem, swirling at the top of the stem into a delicate black flower that resembled the gold ones strewn about the room. The ink hardened into a shiny black, and I looked from the flower to the grave before me.

"... I was all fucked up before I met you." I eventually spoke, frown clear on my face. My eyes were cold, sunken in. Hiding something.

"After everything," I knelt down, setting the ink flower on the grave before standing back to my full height. "I don't know if I'm better or worse for having known you."

I turned around, beginning to walk away from the grave. As I did, I waved over my shoulder, not looking back.

"Rest easy, Chara. Wherever you are."

* * *

I thought long and hard about how to interact with people again. How to understand what it's like having a conversation that doesn't end with a death battle.

How to look at Frisk and not see _them_.

I shook my head, leaves crunching underneath my feet as I walked, hands stuffed in my pockets. I wasn't going to think about that now.

 _"I'll try not to keep you waiting."_

I _said_ I'm not gonna think about that now.

How could I think about it? How could I face the thoughts in my head? How could I, Cter The Hacker, The Angel and The King of Monsters, admit to myself that I had developed such a disgusting obsession?

...

Obsession.

A hideous word.

*Stop pretending that your titles make you a better person.

"Yeah, yeah..." I closed my eyes, leaning against one of the stone walls of the ruins to catch my breath from the mental miles I'd been running. "Just words and all that, I know."

*Do you?

"What are you on about now?" I peeked one tired eye open to look at my text box.

*If you keep acting like one of them, if you keep pushing away who you really are, you'll be infected with their poison.

"Poison, eh?" I frowned, clearly exasperated with my text box's constant nagging, only seeming to be half listening.

*They will make you weak. And then, when Chara returns, you will die.

"..." My jaw clenched at that. My hands balled into fists and my hair fell shadow over my eyes.

*If you keep this up, then when Chara comes back-

"They're not coming back!" I snapped, stepping forward as if to get in the box's nonexistent face.

*...

I stood there, panting lightly, as I glared at the box, fists shaking.

*... You're afraid.

"I handled Chara once, I could handle them again if they came back." I walked through my text box, continuing forward and up towards the dead tree that loomed just before Toriel's home.

*You're afraid that they _won't_ come back.

"..." I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning forward. I rested my hand on the tree, using it so support my weight as I reached up, rubbing my tired eyelids with my thumb and index finger.

"... Look. It's a brand new world, text box." I let my hand drop back to my side, my eyes only half opening to stare at the ground. "Lets just... Touch back on this another day, alright?"

*Whatever.

I shook my head, pushing myself from the tree and making my way towards the steps leading to Toriel's home.

As I made my way to the door, I lifted one fist to knock with my knuckles. But, for some reason, I paused. A momentary hesitation.

*You'll have to see them again. Are you sure you're ready?

I looked down, took a deep breath, and nodded, before knocking three times.

"Hmm? Now who could that be?"

I straightened my red striped sweatshirt, looking myself over for anything that might give away my... Not so regular abilities. When I found none, I messed with my hair in an unsuccessful attempt at making it look nice, before looking up at the door.

"Coming!"

Somewhat heavy footsteps approached from the other side of the door.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes before reaching up with both index fingers, pushing up the corners of my mouth into a smile and opening my eyes to look up to the door with a much more positive expression.

The door knob turned. The wood creaked as it was pulled aside.

"Oh!" Toriel's eyes widened in surprise as she looked down at me. "Another human?"

"Uh... Howdy." I lifted one hand to wave somewhat awkwardly.

"I'm, uh... I'm lost." My tired eyes darted to the side, and as my smile faltered, the hand I waved with shifted to the back of my head. "I'm lost and I need help."

"Can you help me..?" My sunken in eyes darted up to Toriel, who reached up, placing a hand over her mouth with surprise. "I think I need help..."

"..." Toriel smiled gently, letting her hand drop from her mouth to fall onto my shoulder. "Come inside. You're safe here."

I smiled weakly, and Toriel kept an arm around me as we entered her home.

"Thank you..."

* * *

"But if you were to be given cinnamon, you would not turn your nose up to it, would you?" Toriel asked, and I looked up from the wood floor to smile reassuringly at her.

"Not at all, no." Toriel certainly seemed relieved to hear me say that. "I like both cinnamon and butterscotch a lot, actually."

I was sat at one of the chair's of her dining/living room table, though the chair was pulled out away from the table and facing the hallway leading out of the living room, where Toriel stood, smiling kindly with her hands clasped together over her lap.

"Well then I have a surprise for you, my child!" Toriel perked up, quickly darting off towards the kitchen. I smiled lightly as I watched her go, her eagerness to make me feel better proving quite comforting.

I looked ahead after watching her disappear into the kitchen, peering down the hallway.

My eyes widened, and my breath caught in my throat.

Frisk stood there, at the entrance to the living room. They wore the same deer caught in headlights expression I had to assume I was wearing, reaching up and nervously rubbing their shoulder. It was clear they were having trouble with maintaining eye contact.

The hallway stretched endlessly behind them, and for just a moment, a small lapse in my mind, they were standing before my throne. The flowers that I protected so viciously swayed at our feet, and their path of destruction smoked grey death at their heels.

But I blinked my eyes, and heaven disappeared back to the forgiving, peaceful, tidy home that we stood in.

"... Hey." Frisk eventually spoke, looking from the wall to me, uncertainty clear in their eyes, which for once they unsquinted.

"... Hey." I responded, slouched forward in my chair, one arm leaning on the table at my side.

* * *

 ** _Anthony?_**

 _Hm..?_

 _ **Anthony, it is time to wake up.**_

 _Anthony... That's, me, right?_

 _ **Please do not tell me you were up late again, my child...**_

 _Wait, duh, of course that's me!_

 ** _Anthony!_**

 _Who else would I be?_

Crimson eyes fluttered open, wincing from the bright light of the gorgeous morning sun that shun through the window.

"You had me worried, sweetheart." A relieved laugh filled the room, and Anthony's beautiful ruby eyes glossed over to the tall goat woman who stood at his bed side.

A light smile crossed his lips as she reached forward, planting one hand on his messy, ivory hair and ruffling it under her paw.

"Heh... Sorry mom." Anthony looked up at Toriel with an apologetic smile from under her hand. "I guess I didn't sleep too well..."

"You weren't up all night playing video games with Angel again, I hope." Toriel narrowed her eyes with a mother's wrath, and Anthony laughed, reaching up and scratching the back of his head as he sat up, blanket falling from his upper body, which was shirtless.

"No, no. I just had some... Really weird dreams, I think." Anthony's eyes narrowed then, glancing to the side. He looked back to Toriel, however, when she offered him the bowl of cereal she'd been carrying in her off hand, and smiled up at her as thanks.

"Dreams? Whatever were they about?" Toriel arched a brow as she stepped back away from the bed, Anthony hunching over his bowl of cereal and scooping some into his mouth with his spoon.

"It's vague." Anthony spoke with a mouthful of cereal, before he swallowed, looking back to Toriel and shrugging slowly. "I think I was in a basement..? And there was, something to do with a crowbar maybe..? I dunno."

"That sounds very eerie." Toriel spoke with some concern, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well if it was," Anthony took another bite of cereal, proceeding to speak with a mouthful once more.

"I hope I don't remember it anytime soon."

* * *

"O-oh!" Toriel's eyebrows raised with surprise, and she quickly looked to me. Her noise of surprise caught my attention, and I looked over my shoulder to her.

"I'm sorry, my children!" Toriel carried two plates of pie, walking to the center of the room and smiling nervously. "I-I hadn't quite had time to inform each of you of the other's arrival..."

"It's alright." I spoke first, though Frisk had opened their mouth as well. I forced a smile at Toriel. "It'll be a lot less lonely with three of us."

Toriel's face lit up at that simple statement, and she excitedly raced over to the table, placing the slices of pie down, one before me and one at the seat across from me, where Frisk timidly sat.

"I hope I do not seem too pushy." Toriel frowned lightly with concern as she sat at the head of the table. "Please know that you do not have to do anything that might make you feel less than comfortable."

"T-this is fine, don't worry." Frisk smiled timidly to Toriel, looking up from their plate. "Thank you so much..."

"Was double extra super nice of you to take two complete strangers in like this." I smiled as well, and Toriel certainly seemed overjoyed. "Thanks."

"Y-yeah!" Frisk nodded quickly in agreement. "Thanks!"

"I only wish I had been better prepared for two humans." Toriel smiled nervously. "It just never crossed my mind that two would fall at the same time!"

"To be fair," I swallowed my mouthful of food with a shrug. "That fifty foot drop is a lot more inviting than you might think."

Frisk smiled timidly and Toriel laughed loudly.

"Well, I sincerely hope you don't plan on taking any fifty foot tumbles anymore." Toriel joked. "I don't think it is good for a human's health."

We talked and joked for awhile longer. Frisk was pretty quiet, can't imagine why.

*Maybe because the most powerful being they've ever met was sitting five feet from them?

Sarcasm, bud. Sarcasm.

Anyhow, eventually Toriel advised us to go to bed, guessing we were exhausted. She was right, it'd been an eternity since I slept on something other than that tile floor. There was only one bed, however. Toriel had been quick to pad a place on the carpet floor with many thick blankets and pillows to make it as comfortable as possible for whichever one of us would sleep there.

"Y-you can take the bed." Frisk glanced to the side, rubbing their arm. "It's, uh... The least I can do..."

"..." I cocked a brow slowly at Frisk, before I sighed, closing my eyes and shaking my head.

"... Look Frisk, you gotta take it easy." I opened my eyes and looked back to Frisk, pointing between them and I. "You and me? Friends now. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"S-sorry..." Frisk took a seat against the wall next to the floor-bed. "I, guess I'm just... Still in shock. Processing."

"That's alright." I took a seat on the bed, smiling weakly. "Wanna know a secret?"

Frisk cocked a brow at me, and I leaned forward, my tired, bloodshot eyes going wide with a certain measure of crazy.

 _"I'm kinda all fucked up right now myself, my buddy friend guy pal."_

* * *

"Anthony, hurry! You can still make it on time!"

"On my way, mom!" Anthony called back down the stairs, hopping on one leg to get his foot through his other pant leg.

Buttoning up his jeans, he made his way across his room to the bathroom, grabbing a long sleeve shirt from the floor with his bare foot and tossing it up, catching it in his left hand and throwing it over his shoulder.

He stepped onto the tile bathroom floor, pausing for only a moment to examine himself in the mirror above the sink.

He was on taller side, about six feet high. He had a muscular frame, and his ivory skin was without a single blemish or scar. He looked as though he'd been protected and cared for his entire life.

*It's only you.

Then, why did something about his appearance feel... So...

*Who else would it be?

Anthony shook his head, pushing an arm through his shirt's long sleeve before pulling his head through the neck hole and pushing his arm through the other sleeve, pulling the shirt down over his abdomen. It was black with three red stripes running through it.

After hastily but thoroughly brushing his teeth, Anthony grabbed a pair of socks and rushed down the stairs, grabbing his back pack and throwing it over his shoulder.

He dashed through the kitchen, before pausing, jogging in place and then running backwards past the counter, where a paper bag labeled "Anthony" sat. He grabbed the bag with his teeth, rushing to the door and struggling to open it while he slipped his feet into his tennis shoes.

Toriel snerked lightly as Anthony fumbled his way into the car, dropping his bag in the backseat before plopping down in the front of the mini van, sighing with relief, the opening of his mouth dropping his lunch bag into his lap.

"I knew you could do it." Toriel reached over, patting Anthony's head before shifting into drive and pulling out of the driveway.

* * *

Things got real quiet, and I figured I probably shouldn't have said that, judging from Frisk's wide eyed, both afraid and concerned stare.

"... Sorry." Emotion faded from my expression, crazy disappearing from my eyes with a blink. I looked to the side, avoiding those pathetic fearful eyes that Frisk was always staring at me with. Nothing like the eyes I'd gotten used to.

*The eyes you miss.

"Do... You want to, talk abo-"

"Get some sleep, Frisk." I lied down, turning my back to them and facing the wall. My icy emerald eyes stared blankly at the drywall. It was hard to see in the dark, but the wall wasn't much to look at anyway. That said, I stared at it for awhile.

I don't know if Frisk rolled over and went to bed. They couldn't stared at my back and fumbled for words all night. They could have been looming with toy knife in hand just waiting for the right moment. I didn't know and I didn't care.

I just stared at the wall, blinked every now and again, and eventually it was morning.

* * *

"So, does everyone have a-"

Alphys turned her head at the slow creek of the door, watching Anthony timidly peek his head in through the doorway into the classroom, grinning sheepishly.

"Uh... A-am I late..?" Anthony slowly stepped into the room, scratching the back of his head nervously. His eyes scanned the room quickly for the only other human that would be in the classroom. A certain friend who would surely have had some kind of joke that would take the attention away from Anthony and get all those prying eyes to stop staring at him.

But after a quick scan of the room, and a couple desperate re-scans, Anthony found that his much more charismatic friend had yet to arrive.

"Oh, Anthony! I didn't think you'd be coming in today..." Alphys attempted a smile to reassure her student, but as usual it came out timid and uncomfortable.

"U-uh, Angel hasn't shown up, e-either, a-and we're working in partners this mon-" Alphys paused as she watched another human begin to sneakily creep in through the door, hugging the wall and standing on his tippy toes, face expressing clearly that he was trying to be comically sneaky. Student's began snickering, and the messy haired human's green eyes darted over to Alphys, who was staring at him with a knowing smirk, trying to hide the fact that she too was amused by his antics.

". . ." Angel looked from side to side, before, just as Anthony turned around to see what everyone was laughing at, he lunged forward, roughly grabbing Anthony by the shoulders, his expression flashing to one of extreme concern.

"Anny, you hoodlum!" Angel exclaimed dramatically, Anthony's eyes widening, clearly startled by the sudden appearance of his friend. "Late to class, how could you?!"

More laughter was aroused from the crowd of children, watching as Angel shook Anthony lightly back and forth.

"Oh what would your poor, sweet, dummy thicc mother think?!" Angel cried with sorrow, throwing his head back. "Oh how she'll sob! How she'll cry!"

Snickering, Anthony rolled his eyes, continuing to let Angel put on his comedy act, even Alphys trying to stifle her laughter, lifting one claw to cover her mouth.

"How she'll cling to me and ask what she could do to aid her evil, evil son!" Angel stopped shaking Anthony, stepping back and putting a forearm over his forehead, closing his eyes, as if to picture the sad scene. "How she'll crave the comfort only a man of my caliber can deliver!"

Smirking playfully but trying to look unamused, Anthony laid a swift jab on Angel's shoulder with his pale fist, leaving him with a warning charlie horse.

"Ow!" Angel grunted, slouching forward and opening his eyes, grinning playfully at Anthony while he rubbed his shoulder and giggled to himself about his stupid joke. Anthony just shook his head to voice his disapproval, though he couldn't help but smile back at his friend, undeniably amused.

"A-alright boys, since you were both late and held up the class with your little show," At this point in Alphys' sentence, Angel leaned on Anthony, putting an arm around the albino boy's shoulder and grinning innocently. "How about you two go get the lab books? T-there should be a couple stacks in the supply closet."

"Sure thing Miss Alphys!" Angel said, wrapping his arm around Anthony's neck and putting him in a playful headlock. "Don't worry, I'll keep this little goof outta trouble."

"Anthony please keep Angel out of trouble." Alphys said, making a few classmates chuckle. Anthony looked up from the headlock, giving Alphys a thumbs up and smiling reassuringly.

Angel let Anthony out of the headlock, and the two turned back around, stepping back into the hallway.

* * *

I stared down at my plate with tired eyes, blinking slowly at the two sunny side up eggs that I picked at with my fork.

*You always preferred scrambled.

"... Eugh..." I reached up, closing my eyes and rubbing them with my index finger and thumb, elbows leaning on the table.

Toriel sat in her chair, Frisk sitting on the floor in front of her and smiling up at her as she read some book that I didn't care to listen to. But she stopped her reading when I scooted back away from the table, standing without a word and walking back down the hallway across the room. Toriel watched me leave with a concerned frown.

I made my way down the hallway, slouched forward and hands stuffed in my jacket pockets. I wanted to go to sleep, but knew getting back in bed would just result in another eight hours of staring at the wall.

Eventually, I came to that mirror, and I stopped, turning to face it. I leaned close, resting my hands on the wood of the desk and staring deep into my reflection's eyes.

*There's nothing left.

Ow.

I clenched my exhausted eyes shut tight, leaning my head down towards the desk to avoid the mirror's piercing gaze. My hands curled into fists on the wood, and for a moment, tremors ran through my body. The magic that had been cast upon me and the DETERMINATION I'd been poisoned with vibrated deep in my heart.

Before it stopped.

My hands unclenched and I looked back up at the mirror.

*Man up. This isn't the first time you've had to do this and it won't be the last.

I reached up, pushing up the corners of my mouth into a convincing, Cter grin. I let a fake light shine into my dull eyes, and I looked exactly like the Cter everybody wants.

*You're such a wonderful liar, Angel.

"Don't call me that, my buddy friend guy pal." I grinned over to my text box, before turning around to walk back down the hallway towards where Toriel and Frisk were sat.

Toriel looked back up, smiling as I entered the room, looking a lot less distraught.

"Oh, hello my child!" Toriel closed the book in her lap, Frisk looking over their shoulder at me. "Do you need something?"

"Yeah, I have a question." Toriel tilted her head to the side at my words, and Frisk's eyes suddenly widened, knowing exactly what I was going to ask.

"How do we get outta here?"

* * *

"Jokes aside, why _were_ you late for school?" Angel glanced over at Anthony, hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt, which was zipped up to just his chest, revealing some of his black and red striped shirt. The sleeves of his blue, red striped sweatshirt were rolled up to his elbows, and up from between his shirt and sweatshirt ran the cord for the ear buds that draped over his ears. "You're usually always here early. Hate to think I'm rubbing off on ya."

"No, it's not that." Anthony glanced over at Angel. "I slept right through my alarm, I think. I was having a real weird dream."

"Oh yeah?" Angel cocked a brow. "Was I in it?"

"Uhh... I'm pretty sure, yeah." Anthony looked down, holding his chin. "I don't remember exactly, but I think you were a pretty important part of it..."

"Naturally. I'm a real important dude." Angel smirked, placing a hand on his chest, before snickering as Anthony playfully shoved him.

The two stopped before a shut door to the supply closet, both of them looking to it.

"Welp, here we-" Angel stopped mid sentence, the door to the closet creaking open on it's own. As the darkness within stared deep into the two, the lights began to dim and shift, casting the hallway in an eerie lighting. "... Are..?"

"... Uh..." Anthony blinked his wide eyes, glancing over to Angel. "Does it... Seem like it's radiating darkness in there to just you, or..?"

"W-well... Erm... Ehehe!" Angel grinned a shaky, nervous grin, looking over to his pale friend. "Hey, you're not afraid of the dark, a-are ya Anny?"

Anthony froze momentarily. He hated to admit it, as being his age, such a fear was certainly shameful. But, something about the dark... Something about the loneliness, the fact that it was just him, in nothingness, with his own thoughts...

"H-hey, Anny, take it easy." Anthony was snapped back to reality by Angel's voice, looking to him with fear in his eyes, before he felt Angel reach out, putting a hand on Anthony's back. There was a surprisingly serious tone in his voice. "We'll go in together. It'll be fine, okay?"

Anthony smiled weakly at Angel, who smirked gently, before the two stepped forward into the dark closet, wide eyes desperately trying to adjust to the blackness.

"Try to find a light." Angel ordered, and Anthony nodded, the two fumbling along the walls, deeper and deeper into the closet.

And after walking about twenty feet, Angel glanced back at Anthony.

"Uhh... This is a, pretty deep storage closet eh?"

"Y-yeah, you could say that..."

"Anny..?"

"Yeah..?"

"Lets get the fuck outta here!"

The sudden panic in Angel's voice was enough for Anthony, and the two turned back around, sprinting towards the open door, which was the only thing illuminated in the pitch black room.

But, just as they reached the door, it swung shut, slamming them into the utter darkness and locking them away.

"HEY!" The two slammed shoulder first into the door with Angel's shout. "Open the door!"

"This isn't funny!" Anthony pounded his fists on the door. "Let us out of here!"

 _"Let me out, please!"_

Anthony's eyes widened, a shock wave running through his mind, words he didn't remember hearing echoing in his brain.

 _"I-I'll be good! Please! Mom!"_

Grabbing his head, Anthony stumbled away from the door. His eyes clenched shut tight while deja vu rocked his brain.

"Anny?" Angel glanced back at Anthony, concern on his face. "Anthony!"

Anthony managed to open one eye, cold sweat beading down his face as he looked over the darkness surrounding him.

The shadows writhed. They slithered and hissed and grinned and laughed at him.

"Anthony!" Angel cried out again, racing over to his friend. Anthony looked over to him weakly, and just as their eyes met, they widened, feeling the floor drop out beneath them.

And the two plummeted deeper into the never ending black, screaming all the way down.

* * *

"It's a real rarity that somebody _i_ _nvites_ me to their timeline, y'know."

The short, negative colored skeleton glanced past the Gaster that stood before him then, glancing into the strange screen behind him. The screen was different from regular tears that viewed into timelines. It was as if it was... Artificial. Green ones and zeros drifted up into the void around them from the corners screen.

"... Especially someone harboring a glitch like _**him**_."

"I believe that you and I just might have a common interest, Error Sans." Gaster's mouth curved up in that wicked crescent, and the glitchy skeleton narrowed his sockets up at the doctor.

"You want me to take care of the freaky little albino for ya?" Error glanced past Gaster, pointing one digit out to the portal Gaster stood in front of.

"Not quite, no." Gaster shook his head, making Error tilt his skull to the side. "But I do have another human from another realm that you might be interested in."

"Oh yeah?" Error grinned a little wider, cocking a brow. "You want me to do dirty work for you? You got any idea how that sounds coming from one of the people responsibly for making my job twenty one times harder?"

"Hear me out." Gaster lifted one hole punched hand, that grimy grin getting a little wider. "I believe you might just have a personal vendetta against this human of which I speak."

"This human I've never met?" Error chuckled a broken, glitchy laugh. "Bein' lost in space time for too long mess with your head, Wingdingus?"

"Cter The Hacker." Gaster closed his eyes as he spoke that name, and Error's eyes narrowed slightly, his joking demeanor fading away.

"... The Hacker?" Error repeated skeptically, and Gaster smiled just a little wider.

"These humans come from a realm with much power over our own. It doesn't take much effort for them to twist our worlds, our timelines..." Shadow fell over Gaster's eyes, that grin from ear to ear.

"... Our very beings."

"..." Error's hands slowly clenched into fists. "... You think that Cter The Hacker turned me into... This."

"I don't have any _solid_ proof." Gaster shrugged thoughtlessly. "But with a title like Hacker, he's got a reputation for twisting the code, does he not? And with where he comes from, and the clear knowledge he has displayed of this world... Well, you connect the dots."

"... Why're ya tellin' me this, doc?" Error's eyes narrowed skeptically. "What could'ja possibly have to gain from me going and deleting that glitch in particular?"

"I am setting up something... Enormous in it's entirety." Gaster turned his back to Error, looking into his screen. "I must place all the pieces _just_ right."

"You callin' me a pawn, bud?" A certain threatening tone reflected in Error's glitchy voice, and strings danced on his fingers as he lifted one hand.

"No no, Error, you are a test run!" Gaster grinned excitedly as he suddenly spun back around to face Error, who squinted up at him. "You are a vital leap that my subject must make!"

"... You're all sorts'a loonie." Error's grin widened a little with amusement.

"If you destroy the Hacker, then he was not worthy of facing chaos incarnate!" Gaster bent his long body, hands behind his back, looming over Error to get a closer look into his twisted being. "But if the Hacker defeats you, then he is on his way to being _exactly_ what I need!"

"You know, Wingdingus, I've never lost." Error grinned wickedly, and intrigue sparked inside of Gaster's mad sockets.

"Ah ha! But you see, Error," Gaster suddenly spun around, looking back into that screen. He watched Anthony and Angel plummet deep into the darkness, before suddenly snapping his head back to look at Error. "At the end of the day?"

 **"Neither has Cter."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	11. Chapter 11: It's a Dark World After All!

**Lil' weird to see an update on a Wednesday, right? Hope I didn't catch anybody at a bad time, I just finished this chapter yesterday and I'm going to my senior prom over the weekend so I don't think I'd be proofreading and posting then.**

 **So, sadly, you get this chapter a few days early. I know, heartbreaking stuff.**

 **Thanks go to Wingah, Fixer140.85, dbpeel, BadDRUMMERboy15, Tbone8454, Gray Kanzakai, Demonfan50, Deathwing676, mallariebuckley, NBoss01, and Ssnipex.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.**

* * *

Grey dirt and... Darkness.

That's what Anthony opened his crimson peepers to.

He was laying on his stomach, his cheek mushed against the cold hard ground, his dazed eyes staring blankly into the void that surrounded the earth he laid upon.

"What in the..?" Anthony pushed himself slowly to his hands and knees, placing his hands on the ground before himself to do so. When he did, his eyes widened, finding that his arms were clad in silver bracers.

He stood, looking himself over and finding that he was wearing a slim suit of shiny armor, a sapphire blue scarf wrapped around his neck. Upon looking over his shoulder to inspect his back, he found one blue shield on his back. The shade matched his scarf.

He pulled the shield free, spinning it around to inspect the symbol on the front of it. He recognized it as the Delta Rune, the same symbol on the rug in his room. The shield was a diamond shape, coming to a point at the top and bottom.

"Uhh... I get a shield, but not a sword?" Anthony looked up with wide, twitchy eyes. Cold sweat dripped down his face.

"... Actually, I think I have better questions." He placed the shield on his back, gulping as he stepped out towards the ledge into the abyss. "Like, for example..."

He threw his head back and his arms out to the sides, crying out into the blackness.

"WHERE THE FUCK AM I?!"

 **Chapter 11: It's a Dark World After All!**

 _"Beware the phantom of the past."_

* * *

Panting lightly, Anthony's arms eventually dropped back to his sides, and he stood there for another moment or two, before dropping to his knees, growling with frustration and grabbing at his mane of ivory hair.

"Eeeuuuggghhh!" Anarchy threw his head back again, lamenting his confusion, frustration, and fear before the blackness.

But, when he inevitably got tired of sitting on his hands, and the glare of the void grew too much for him to bare, he swiftly climbed back to his feet, turning around to the only path in this blackness and speed walking towards it, shaking his head.

"Gotta be a way back don't panic everything is fine just don't pani-"

 _"Ahaha!"_

"AAAAHHHH!" Anthony jumped six feet in the air, landing and pulling out his shield, holding it in front of himself to defend from the giggling danger.

But, when he laid his eyes upon the strange, swaying, white... Thing? That had made the noise, he just let out a half relieved sigh, continuing to trudge forward.

He passed more white... Thingies. Each one giggled, and each giggle made his eye twitch slightly and his legs move faster. Eventually, he made his way to a hill that looked like someone else had already slid down, and did not hesitate to slid down, hoping silently he could find a friendly face in this terrifying place.

He continued on, passing more swaying thingies without a thought. But he looked down at the red soul that suddenly appeared on his chest, and his eyes widened as they darted up, watching the white orbs fling through the air from the swaying forms at him.

He swiftly grabbed his shield from his back, standing strong behind it as the orbs thudded against the metal before disappearing into nothingness.

From then on, whenever Anthony passed one of those swingers - Which was the unfortunate name he'd dubbed them with - he held his shield ready.

As he walked, he came to a strange white star. A glowing light in the dark.

Something about it called out to him. He stepped forward, reached out, and...

*A light in the dark.

*But from where have you seen it?

*A reassuring warmth washes over you. It resonates, helping you remember the DETERMINATION deep inside.

*But, this familiarity...

*... You don't remember.

"..." Anthony mulled over the words that so perfectly described his thoughts for another moment or two, before removing his hand from the star and letting the text box disappear.

He turned away, continuing his quest forward in search of a friend and or a way out of this terrifying place.

He came to a puzzle, something to do with closing eyes. But, the labels made the puzzle very easy, and he shut the three eyes etched in the wall, making a bridge of glass appear before him to the next chunk of land in the dark.

He slid down another hill, and his eyes narrowed as he watched a shadow dart into one of the strange masses of bubbles that littered this plateau he was standing on.

Anthony's eyes narrowed, and he drew his shield, slowly and silently approaching the bubbles while he held it protectively in front of himself.

But just as he got close, the shadow darted to a nearby bubble pile. And when Anthony approached that pile, the shadow darted away once more. This continued until the last pile, which Anarchy slowly and skeptically approached.

His jaw clenched, icy sweat beading down his forehead.

His ruby eyes narrowed, and slowly...

 _Poof!_

"H-hey! Step back!" Anthony's eyes widened as a spearhead was pointed at his shield, before he sighed with relief at who was wielding it.

"Don't think I won't-! ... Ah shit, Anny?!" Angel dropped his spear, which had a shiny black point on an ivory white handle. "You scared the fuck outta me!"

"You're the one all sneaking around in the shadows with a spear!" Anthony exclaimed, placing his shield on his back.

"Because something was chasing me! But it looks like that something was just your goon ass!" Angel pointed to Anthony with one gloved hand.

Anthony noticed that Angel's appearance had changed as well. He was now wearing a strange, light blue cloak, which connected to the hood on his head and fell like a cape behind him. He wore black gloves, a chest plate similar to Anthony's over some sort of dark blue tunic, dark blue pants and steel shin guards.

"..." Angel glanced from side to side, before looking back to Anthony with a much less accusing expression. "... Uh... Where are we, by the way?"

". . ." Anthony slowly lifted his arms in a shrug, shaking his head.

"..." Angel reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh. "Lets start walking."

"Sounds like a great plan, boss." Anthony leaned down, picking up Angel's spear and handing it back to him.

"I'm full of 'em." Angel winked and clicked his tongue as he took his spear, sliding it back into some kind of holster under his cape.

* * *

*This isn't stimulating in the slightest.

I jumped back, fire balls bursting to embers on the concrete before my feet.

"You will _not_ be getting past me." Toriel's eyes narrowed coldly at Frisk and I. She held her arms out to her sides, open palms displaying swirling orbs of flames.

"Mom, please!" Frisk exclaimed from beside me, and Toriel's stone cold expression twitched with pain before she threw her arms forward, sending spirals of flames blasting from her palms at us.

I jumped to the left, and Frisk jumped to the right.

"Frisk and I will be okay!" I called out to Goat Mom over the roar of the flames, hands clenching to fists at my sides. "We'll keep each other safe!"

"You shouldn't have to!" Toriel snapped, lifting her paws above her head. Over her, flames spiraled in a vortex, before she lifted one foot, cocking back to throw the blast of flames at the floor before her. If one looked closely, they could see a tear running from her eye.

"You are only children!"

She threw her arms down, and flames blasted down the hall in a massive wave towards Frisk and I, and Frisk quickly jumped towards me, reaching out and grabbing me by the sleeve as the wall of fire approached.

"Get to the center!" They cried out, and I looked to them with confusion before they planted their feet, spinning and throwing me towards the center of the hall before diving after me.

I did a back flip in air on second nature, landing on my feet and quickly looking to the blast of flames approaching when Frisk landed at my side.

On instinct, I lifted my left hand, jaw clenching as I resisted the desire to make a giant computer key appear before us and block the flames. But, the moment Frisk saw me lift my arm, they reached out, taking my hand and pulling it aside, making me look to them with confusion. They just responded with a knowing nod.

And when I looked up, I found the tidal wave of flames had split around us, intentionally evading us and blasting down the hallway around us, surrounding us with beautiful orange fire.

Looking over the sea of fire that surrounded me, the orange light reflecting in my green eyes, I felt a certain... Sense of awe. The unspoken beauty displayed in a mother's mercy.

I glanced over to Frisk, unknowingly still holding onto their hand. They didn't speak a word, only smiling at me.

After another few incredibly long seconds, the flames faded away, and Frisk and I looked ahead to see Toriel staring at us with pain filled eyes and a slightly ajar jaw, before she dropped to her knees and hung her head low.

"... I am sorry, my children..." She apologized quietly, and Frisk and I let go of each other, walking forward to speak with her.

"Perhaps... I was so afraid to be alone, so afraid to watch more children wander to their doom, that..." Toriel slowly lifted her head to look up at the two of us standing over her, both smiling lightly. "... I overlooked how strong the two of you are."

"We'll be okay, mom..." Frisk knelt down, wrapping their arms around Toriel in a comforting hug. Toriel's lips curved up sadly at this, and she slowly wrapped her arms around her child. "We have each other."

"... Yes. I have no doubt now." Sad smile clear on her face, Toriel lowered her head, and shadows fell over her eyes. "The two of you... So long as you stay together, you will both escape this place."

"..." She closed her eyes, pulling away from Frisk after another moment or two and standing.

"Please, the both of you... Continue forward, and never look back, will you not?" She smiled kindly down at the two of us. "There's nothing for you down here. You must return home."

Frisk and I nodded, a DETERMINED smile on Frisk's face and a gently smirk on mine.

"... Goodbye, my children." Toriel closed her eyes, clasping her hands together over her lap and lowering her head respectfully. "And good luck."

Frisk took a moment to look at Toriel, before nodding and walking past her and into the next room.

I watched Frisk leave, before looking to Toriel for a moment. I found it odd that she had yet to leave, but thought nothing of it, just walking past her.

"... Cter."

I stopped.

"Your soul... It is not like Frisk's. It is not like any other human's."

My eyes narrowed over my shoulder at Toriel, but she did not look back at me.

"... You have the power to pass through the barrier already, do you not?"

"..."

"Yes, I can feel it. Just now... You could have destroyed me."

"... I don't know what you're talking about, Toriel."

"I am unsure of how a human like you has come to be. But I _am_ sure that you have the power to do both great and terrible things, and so far you have been choosing the former."

"I'm telling you, you've got something wro-"

"Do not let yourself become corrupted, my child."

"..."

"Go forth, and remain strong. I believe in you."

And as Toriel's footsteps grew further and further away, and I stood there alone for a few more seconds, I found myself beginning to think.

 _... Why is everyone always talking about how they believe in me?_

* * *

"So any theories on where we are?" Anthony glanced over at Angel as they walked, watching Angel shrug in response.

"Well, it seems real nightmarish, but it's too real for it to be a dream." Angel glanced over at Anthony, grinning lightly. "Plus, if this were my dream, your mom would be-"

Anthony punched Angel in the shoulder, making him let out a pained yelp, them laugh to himself as he grabbed his shoulder.

"Yeah yeah you think my mom is hot. I get it ya furry." Anthony rolled his eyes, letting his hands rest between his pants and the metal plates covering his hips like some kind of pockets.

"Are you sure?" Angel cocked a brow. "Because, I mean, I can reiterate-"

Angel bumped into the arm that Anthony held out in front of him, looking to the arm before looking to Anthony.

"Uhh, Angel... You got any idea who that is?" Anthony pointed up the large pillar of stone that stood at the side of their path, brow furrowed with confusion.

Angel tilted his head upwards, looking to the very top of the pillar, where a shadow stood, looking down at them and waving excitedly.

The figure was feminine, and in its hand it seemed to be holding a scythe that was long enough to be resting on the ground next to her feet as she held it out to her side, the blade misting frost into the air at her side.

"Uh... Hello?" Angel slowly waved back up at the figure, before whispering to Anthony. "Do you think other people got brought here too..?"

The figure spun her scythe behind her back then, shifting it into her other hand before pointing it down at the two. Suddenly, the ice coating the blade of the scythe fired down at the two.

"AHH!" Anthony and Angel jumped apart, lifting one leg and throwing their arms over their faces as the ice blade shattered apart on the ground between them.

The two's eyes darted to each other, panic clear on their expressions.

"Run, Anny!"

* * *

"Hmm." Flowey squinted at Frisk and I, who stood directly in front of the shut door to the Ruins, staring down at him.

He poked up from the snow before us, the long path down to where we would surely encounter Sans stretching out behind him.

"Well, congrats, Cter." Flowey smirked up at me. "You stopped their genocide."

"I'm not really sure what made _you_ decide to go back this way, Chara," Flowey looked to Frisk, who visibly flinched at being referred to by that name. I felt something inside me flinch at their name as well, so I couldn't fault them. "But I suppose it's for the best."

"It's Frisk." I spoke, and Frisk looked to me with surprise.

"... What?" Flowey squinted at me, aggravation clear in his tone.

"They're different people." I frowned right back at Flowey, cold eyes unblinking. "Chara's gone. This is Frisk. Don't fuck it up again."

"Or WHAT?!" Flowey snapped, straightening his stem to make himself look bigger.

I instinctively opened my palm, feeling ink swirl in my sleeve. But, Frisk was quick to grab my hand.

Irritation flared, and I glared at them out of the corner of my eye, jaw clenching tight.

That was, until I saw the fear in their eyes as they latched onto me, staring up at me with eyes that I saw my own reflection in.

"..." My hand relaxed in theirs, and my expression softened. In a word, I felt... Disgusted.

"Listen to them, Cter." Flowey grinned wide up at me. His smile was grimy, arrogant, and oddly toothy for a flower.

"After all, you don't have your magic anymore, right?" Flowey rolled his eyes, still smirking that pretentious little smirk. "Giving up all that power just to save some people you never even knew. And look where it's gotten you."

"Remember that I saved your pathetic, sniveling ass too, flower." I knelt down in front of Flowey, and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"You know, right after your 'Best Friend' tossed you to the curb like the worthless trash that you are." I smiled a wonderfully friendly smile despite my poisoned words.

"Cter..!" Frisk called out, before shrinking slightly when I looked back to them.

"You... How dare you..?!" Flowey growled, before shrinking as well as I loomed over him.

"You get out of my sight _this instant_ , Flowey. After everything I did to help you I don't want you speaking to me like that ever again." I ordered Flowey with a stern tone, and though he attempted to keep that glare, I could see him shaking.

It would seem that even without someone knowing I have power, I'd grown to radiate a powerful presence.

"Y-yeah, well..!" Flowey glanced around nervously, his little flower brain trying to find some kind of come back. When he discovered none, he stuck his tongue out at me, and popped back into the ground.

I stood back to my full height, eyes remaining locked on where Flowey had been moments ago.

"... Cter, you should really be nicer to Flowey..." Frisk said, avoiding eye contact when I looked back to them.

"You, should... Be nicer in general..." They almost whispered, reaching up and rubbing their shoulder awkwardly.

"... Yeah, you're probably right." I closed my eyes, looking ahead. "Sorry, I guess he just pushed the wrong buttons."

"Cter, I know we don't know each other too well, but... You seem really unhappy..." Frisk looked back to me as they walked to my side. Putting a hand on my shoulder skeptically, they opened their eyes enough for me to see the concern in them.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk abou-"

"Lets keep moving." I walked forward, brushing off Frisk's hand and making them frown. "I'm sure Sans can't wait to hear the good news."

"... Yeah, okay..." Frisk looked away, sighing to themself and following after me.

We walked down the straight path. We stepped over a branch, and it was broken behind us. Later, footsteps crunched behind us. But, when we turned around, there was nothing. And, eventually...

 **"Humans."**

Frisk and I glanced at one another, certain that one enigmatic skeleton was standing behind us.

 **"Don'tcha know how to greet an old friend?"**

Frisk didn't seem to know how to feel. They seemed both anxious and excited at once.

 **"Turn around and shake my hand."**

We both spun around to face the short skeleton, who extended both hands, shadows washing over him and obstructing his features.

We took his hands, making two whoopee cushions go off simultaneously.

The shadows shifted, and Sans' grinning face was visible as we let go of his boney hands.

"Whoa, kids, I know you're excited to see me, but c'mon." Sans' white dot pupils jumped to the side, that grin only seeming to widen. "Keep it together."

"Good to see you, Sans." I smiled lightly at his little joke.

"Good to see you, too." Sans glanced from me to Frisk. "The both'a you."

"Sans, I um... I should probably..." Frisk had trouble finding the words, reaching over and rubbing their shoulder. Made sense to me, how do you just apologize for what they'd done?

"Don't bother, kid." Sans lifted one hand dismissively, and Frisk looked back to him, furrowing their brows with confusion.

"S'in the past. None'a that matters now." Sans grinned reassuringly, and Frisk smiled timidly in response. "What's important is that we're here now, and we can put all that FIGHTing stuff behind us."

"Y-yeah!" Frisk smiled, DETERMINATION gleaming in their eye as they looked up to Sans.

"Now, why don't you head on ahead and hide behind that conveniently shaped lamp?" Sans tilted his skull to the side. "We'll meet ya up there in a sec. Me and Cter need to do a lil' catchin' up, alright?"

"No problem!" Frisk certainly seemed relieved that the reunion with Sans had gone so well, turning around and quickly making there way down towards the lamp.

I watched them go, before turning my head back to look at Sans. I cocked a brow at him curiously, and he had closed his sockets.

"So, champ, fill me in." Sans opened his eyes then, and the white dots were gone from his sockets, leaving an inky black void that stared deep into my soul.

 **"Where's Stabby?"**

* * *

"Shitshitshitshit!" Angel jumped as he ran, leaping over a blade of ice, which crashed to shards just beneath him before he landed, stumbling and continuing his run.

He looked over his shoulder, grimacing at the next blade firing at him, before Anthony jumped up, spinning around and holding out that shield to the oncoming attack, which the ice shattered against.

Anthony landed back on his feet, sliding ever so slightly before Angel grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"Nice save now keep moving!" Angel grabbed Anthony by the wrist, sprinting ahead.

"W-wait, Angel!" Anthony protested, though he ran right alongside his friend. "Maybe we can talk to her! She might be just as confused as us!"

"Quit thinking with your dick and jump!" Angel instructed frantically, jumping down another one of those steep inclines and pulling Anthony right along with him.

The two stood crouched as they slid down on their feet, gravel jumping up around their heels.

Anthony suddenly brought up his shield as Angel ripped his spear from his back, Anthony blocking another blade of ice and Angel batting one aside with the long handle of his spear.

They kept that up for three seconds that felt like three hours as they slid, batting and blocking lethal ice before their feet suddenly caught level ground, and they tumbled to the earth.

Anthony, now laying flat on his stomach, winced as he looked up to where his shield had flung from his grip before him.

As he reached out, Angel stood from in front of him, cocking back that spear and slapping aside another shard of sharp ice, sending chunks flinging through the air.

Anthony smiled gratefully up at him, before he reached out with one hand, Anthony grabbing tight and being helped to his feet.

Angel turned around and Anthony scooped up his shield as the two continued their sprint ahead.

And as they ran, the frequency of those attacks died down before coming to a stop. The two didn't seem to notice, however, sprinting until their lungs were desperate for air and they were stumbling their way into a strange, abandoned city.

"Hah..! Hah..!" Angel slumped forward, gagging and resting his hands on his knees. "Oh man I'm too old for this..!"

"You're... Only eighteen..." Anthony winced his eyes shut, leaning against a one blue brick wall while he gasped for air.

"Oh mah knees... Mah lumbar..!" Angel wheezed in agony, placing a hand on his lower back and leaning his head back, sweat rolling down his face.

Panting, Anthony slowly slid down the wall he leaned against, head turned to the side and eyes remaining closed for another few moments while he gathered his strength.

Eventually, he regained the power to open a single eye, glancing up to the single building that towered over the town.

"Hey, Angel..?"

"Agh... Yeah, Anny..?"

"Is... Is that a castle..?"

"..." Angel slowly tilted his head to look to the ominous stonework that loomed above them, before groaning.

"The hell is a castle doing in the supply closet..?"

* * *

"Uhh... Stabby?" I cocked a brow at Sans, confusion written on my expression.

"The ghost kid that follows Frisk around." Sans closed his right eye, and his left shun a shade of blue for a moment. "I don't see 'em around anymore."

"You mean Chara?" I asked, and Sans shrugged.

"Potato chips popato chisps." He responded, and I took it as a pretty F'ed up tomato tamato. "I'm sure you spoke with 'em at some point in that fight."

My eyes darted to the side, frowning lightly in thought.

 _Pain seared my abdomen as Chara buried their knife in my flesh, eyes gleaming with sadistic joy and crimson already running from a previously broken nose, down their upper lip and to their chin. Another stream of red ran from the corner of their mouth, and sweat beaded down their forehead from what had to have been one drawn out battle._

 _"Do you think I'm pretty?" They grinned wider as they asked, flashing blood stained teeth. An odd question for sure, but we asked a lot of weird things while we were in that eternity. Almost always just to see what the other would say._

 _In the next instant, a pen pierced through their back and out from their chest, making them hack blood onto my smirking face, their ruby eyes going wide at the sudden agony. But their sadistic smile didn't fade, not even for a second._

 _" **Drop dead** gorgeous." I responded, right eye winced shut and blood pouring down from between my teeth in my ceaseless grin. _

"... Once or twice." I frowned a little deeper, my eyes narrowing at that disgustingly pleasant memory all while I evaded eye contact.

"So gimme the rundown. Where's Chara, what's up with Frisk, how long were you fighting them, how'd it end?" Sans tilted his skull to the side, sockets narrowing with his interrogation.

"Well, Sans, I'mma be real with you." I sighed when I looked back to him, slouched forward slightly. "Things got _real_ fucky in the timeloop."

"And while I'd like to tell you I crushed them and we have nothing to worry about if Chara were to reappear," I shrugged with one arm. "Me n' them were dead even. We fought 714 times, and we both ended up with 357 wins."

"But they gave up." Sans concluded, and I shook my head.

"No. An opportunity presented itself and I managed to get the upper hand." My tired eyes widened a little as I explained. "It was a one in a million chance and if it hadn't happened I guarantee you I would have had to fight them another thousand times _at least_."

*There's no way it would have taken that long for Chara to convince you to join them.

"..." Sans pupils once more faded from his eyes, clearly expressing that this was not what he'd wanted to hear. "And this one in a million fluke. What was it?"

"..." I squinted, almost hesitating. "... Does the name Wing Ding Gaster mean anything to you?"

"Gaster?!" Sans snapped suddenly, his pupils reappearing as he looked up to me.

I was jolted as Sans grabbed onto the collar of my jacket, yanking me down to eye level. My eyes went wide, and I lifted my hands defensively.

"Cter I need you to go into a lotta detail and I need you to do it now." Sans jaw clenched, his entire body seeming to be trembling with emotion.

"... Look, to keep it short, Gaster's the reason I showed up here." My eyes narrowed, and Sans slowly let me go. "He wanted to stop Chara so he pulled me in from my world once he got enough of himself together to do so."

"And then, once he had completed himself, he appeared right between Chara and I, and pulled both of our souls into that weird... Mindscape. The same one where I would receive my magic from you guys." I stared right into Sans' skeptical sockets while I explained, my emerald eyes cold.

"And? What happened there?" Sans cocked a brow bone.

*You made the wrong decision.

"I won." I answered simply, standing back to my full height and stepping back away from Sans. "They were dazed and confused, and I took the opportunity to strike and banish them from Frisk's body."

*Liar liar.

Well, how was I supposed to tell Sans what _really_ happened? That Chara wanted _me_ as their vessel and that I almost took them up on the offer? That if Chara does come back, they're gonna be after _me_ this time and I might not have the will power to turn them down again?

Internally, I took a deep breath. A step back from the whirling fears and excitements in my head and soul.

Chara's gone.

Nothing to worry about.

They're gone.

"Where is Gaster now?" Sans narrowed his sockets, and I shook my head.

"Haven't seen him since he pulled me out of the timeline during the RESET so I could keep my magic." I shrugged. "He's probably still out there in the void of space time, keeping an eye out."

"..." Sans closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before reopening them. "We need to get moving. Papyrus'll be at that lamp any second."

"Follow me, I know a shortcut."

* * *

"Error Sans?" Gaster spoke with disbelief, staring with wide sockets down at CORE Frisk.

"Yes, Error Sans." They nodded once, expression solemn. "I don't know when, but Cter is certainly on his kill list. And if I had to guess, that puts the rest of your timeline at a huge risk too."

"Well... Great!" Gaster said sarcastically, pacing in the nothingness and throwing his hands into the air. "From bad to worse it goes!"

"Out of the frying pan..." C Frisk trailed off in agreement, looking away.

"Why this? Why now?" Gaster looked back to Frisk, one hand atop his head.

"... There's another Gaster out there with another human from the same reality as Cter The Hacker." C Frisk walked to the screen displaying Cter and Sans speaking with one another.

"This Gaster is certainly a lot less kind than you, doctor." C Frisk frowned back up to Gaster. "A... Badster, if you will."

Gaster couldn't help but squint at the childish nickname for his less than nice counter part, but quickly placed it on the back burner.

"I'm not sure what it is, but Badster is up to something. Something involving Cter, and something involving his own human." C looked to the side, grimacing. "He used his own timeline as a test for his human. His human aced that test; killed everything that he could find and didn't die once. Though if he had, I'm certain he would have had the DETERMINATION to come back."

"What kind of sick test is that?" Gaster's jaw clenched, cold sweat forming on his skull.

"One of power. Cunning. Will." Hands behind their back, C looked back to Cter's timeline, void eyes narrowing. "DETERMINATION."

"But what does this have to do with us? With Cter?" Gaster stepped up next to C, looking into his timeline as well.

"I believe he sent Error our way for the same reason. To test Cter." C Frisk's tiny hands clenched into fists behind their back.

"But for what?" Gaster's voice was filled with concern and confusion.

"If I had to guess? A showdown." C looked up to Gaster, frown clear on their face. "Between The Hacker and The Anarchist."

"..." Gaster's eyes narrowed down at the timeline, watching Cter hide in Sans' outpost while the short skeleton talked to Papyrus, certainly landing pun after pun. "... How does he measure up?"

"As it stands?" C shook their head, glancing back to the timeline. "Anarchy would tear him limb from limb. And that isn't an exaggeration."

Gaster didn't speak. His hands clenched into tight fists, and his body trembled lightly with frustrations, but he did not speak.

"... Gaster, I hate to say it just as much as you hate to hear it, but I think it might be very beneficial to let this test go through."

" _What_?" Gaster's eyes narrowed down at C.

"Look, clearly Badster sees some hidden potential in Cter specifically." C looked up to Gaster. "Out of twenty children, he picked Cter. And out of infinite realities, he picked yours."

"We know that these twenty one children could have potential far greater than anything this multiverse has seen before. Maybe it would be best if we let him attain-"

"I am not going to pit that child in anymore death matches all alone!" Gaster snapped, glaring down at C. "He is just a boy who was taken from his world! This fate was cast upon him! He is innocent!"

"... Then when Anarchy comes, you're all gonna die." C Frisk stared up at Gaster with those empty, empty eyes.

Gaster flinched at the harshness of their words, recoiling as his skeletal jaw clenched.

"I've seen him, Gaster. I've spoken to him. Everything about him is like nothing I have ever seen before." C Frisk shook their head slowly. "He's been in the multiverse for the incredibly short period that all these kids have been here, and he's already being talked about by _real_ big names. Real important people, good and bad."

"... What are we to do?" Hands clenched and sockets squinted, Gaster continued to watch the boy that destiny had so thoughtlessly chosen. That he had so thoughtlessly chosen.

"He has to get stronger." C looked back into the timeline as well. "Anarchy needs an equal, and Badster's picking The Hacker."

"And how do we tell _him_ this?" Gaster gestured to the timeline.

"For now, we don't." C Frisk said, and Gaster immediately rolled his eyes, stepping away.

"Of course! Why give him _any_ warning!"

"Look I know it sounds crazy!" C extended one hand out to Gaster, who's back was now to him. "But hear me out!"

"Cter. Is at. A tipping point." C spoke slowly, one hand raised defensively and eyes widened for affect. "We've discussed it before. He's not a genocidal, but he isn't a pacifist either. And anyone with eyes can see his on a _real_ thin rope right now. One wrong push, and we've got an inky killing machine on our hands."

Gaster paused, closing his eyes and shaking his head. His back remained to C.

"Cter is as powerful as he is now with 1 LV. I'd hate to see him with 20." C slowly shook their head. "And if he hears about this Anarchy thing too early, he could get the same idea. Or, a certain ghost could whisper it to him."

"..." Still, Gaster said nothing, only placing one hand on his face and sighing with exasperation.

"For now, only tell him about Error. And make it seem hopeful when you do." C slowly turned their head to look back into the timeline. "He's not alone this time around."

C Frisk looked back to Gaster then, who now looked over his shoulder at them.

"But when Anarchy shows up, he's gonna have to be."

* * *

It was nice to see Papyrus again.

The most pleasant part of my day, I deduced as I stared up at the ceiling of my room in the Snowed Inn.

Frisk slept on a bed across the room from me. How they slept so easy eluded me.

But, regardless, they were asleep and for the second night in a row it looked like I wasn't gonna be getting any rest at all.

My head turned to the side, and I stared out that window into the night outside. A light snow was falling, and in the distance, I could see that path that stretched out towards Waterfall.

The path where I first met _them_.

And it was probably that memory of eye gouging mixed with 48 hours without sleep that made me silently stand from my bed, and tip toe to the door of the room.

I slipped on my tennis shoes, pulled my jacket's sleeves over myself, and opened the door slowly and quietly, glancing feverishly back at Frisk time and time again to make sure that they did not stir from their sleep. When they didn't, I gently shut the door, and made my way out of the Snowed Inn.

I zipped up my hoodie and shoved my hands deep into my pockets, huddling myself close in the gentle cold of Snowdin town, which was now dark. Quiet. No lights on in any house or storefront.

I tiptoed past the skelehouse about as quiet as can be. I was sure Papyrus was ever alert, even in his sleep.

And, after a few minutes of crunching snow under my sneakers, I finally made it to that exact spot.

There I stood, in the same place I'd held Papyrus dying in my arms. In the same place I'd felt that desire to hurt. To kill.

In the same place I'd met Chara.

Snow falling gently in the vast darkness, I glanced around the area, before sighing to myself.

"... Why did I come here?" I asked myself aloud, eyes narrowing at the ground on which I stood.

For a trip down memory lane?

To kill time?

To make myself tired?

For closure?

"Because you knew _I'd_ be here, maybe?"

For just a second there, my heart stopped. My breath caught in my lungs. My emerald eyes went wide, and something deep inside my soul sparked to life.

I turned on my heel, jaw clenching as I whipped myself around to face the source of that oh so familiar voice.

And, to my disbelief, my ears weren't deceiving me.

There they stood.

Smiling wide, hands behind their back, Chara tried their best to look real innocent.

They tilted their head to the side, closed their eyes, and grinned a big, friendly smile.

 **"Did'ja miss me? Don't try to lie~!"**

* * *

 **Oh god oh fuck oh shit-**

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	12. Chapter 12: Puzzle Pieces

**Thanks go to Wingah, BadDRUMMERboy15, cassianaswindell123, Remnant7, 10burgers, Gray Kanzakai, Alrarora, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Doctah Sawbones, and Skele.**

 **Skele pls no I already let a crack ship for this story win my heart and become canon once before-**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.**

* * *

*Told you so.

I didn't know what to feel, looking at them now. A torrent raged inside my soul. consisting of anxiety, excitement, fear, relief...

I know that they'd asked me something, but it was hard to hear over the roar of my thoughts. So, in favor of speaking, I instead stood there, staring with an expression that reflected the panic attack I was having while cold sweat dripped down my face.

"... Cter?" Chara smirked a little wider, tilting their head to the side curiously. "You okay there?"

"... You were dead." I finally managed to choke out, blinking my eyes to remove some of the bewilderment.

"I was dead when you met me." Chara shrugged casually.

"Ah-! ... Uh..." I lifted one finger as if I had a response, but my mouth hung open wordlessly, and my eyes darted to the side with confusion while I slowly lowered my hand to reconsider my words. "Hm."

Chara just nodded in agreement with my confusion.

"Okay, I guess you aren't _wrong_ ," I rolled my eyes, beginning to pace to help rid my brain of the ceaseless energy that came with the many thoughts exploding inside of it. "But you were double decker dead sandwich. Double de-lifed and left woefully exorcised."

"Oh, Cter, is anyone ever really gone?" They waved a hand dismissively, much to my aggravation.

"Yes!" I threw my arms into the air, making them snicker. "In fact several people come to mind when I think of people that are definitely dead and never coming back! And up until five minutes ago, you were one of those people!"

"Do you really have such little faith in me?" Chara cocked a brow, continuing to smirk with amusement. "I _did_ say that I wouldn't keep you waiting, didn't I?"

"I thought you were just trying to fuck with me!" I shrugged defensively.

"Well, I was," Their eyes darted to the side before they looked back to me. "But that doesn't mean what I was saying wasn't true."

I groaned, reaching up and pinching the bridge of my nose. I shook my head, before lowering my hand from my face and pointing at them with it.

"How the hell are you here?" My eyes narrowed. "I didn't land a killing blow in the mindscape and your soul escaped, that part I can wrap my head around."

"What I _don't_ get," I took a bold step forward, unhesitating as I reached out and knocked on the top of their head, as if to confirm that they were in fact physically standing there with a real body that looked just like them and not like they happened to hijack some poor DETERMINED human. "Is how you're _here_ , standing in front of me, with a body."

Chara let out an amused 'hm' at my confusion, and I watched as their lips curved up into a villainous, oily grin.

"You know Cter, perhaps it was the setting in which we got to know one another," And I watched as Chara slowly revealed their hand from where they'd kept it behind their back, before my eyes widened at the item that they proudly displayed.

On Chara's face was a mocking and knowing smile as they stared up at me, holding up one hand to show the glimmering black flower of ink they held delicately between their fingers. The craftsmanship was pretty easy to recognize, considering it was my own.

"But I had no idea you could be so sweet!"

 **Chapter 12: Puzzle Pieces**

 _"I think I just stopped caring somewhere along the line."_

* * *

"..." I had to pause, lifting my head as if they were holding me at gun point by revealing my simple gift. "... Where did you get that?"

"Right where you left it." Chara smirked victoriously. "Six feet above my previously worm ridden corpse."

"Previously?" I cocked a brow skeptically.

"Do I look worm ridden to you?" Chara was quick to fire back.

"... So you're telling me that's your original body." I squinted, certainly taking their words with more than a grain of salt. "The one that was buried in the ground for god knows how many years."

"What other body would it be?" Chara furrowed their brow like it was obvious. "Last I checked there aren't just empty Charas laying around left and right."

"Okay but how the hell was _that_ body usable?" I said, irritation growing in my voice. "Why aren't you a decayed, shambling corpse?"

"It wasn't easy." They assured, expression hardening some. "But when there's a will, when there's DETERMINATION, there is in fact a way."

"After you so _rudely_ turned me down in the last timeline and..." They looked to be considering their words. " _Evicted_ me from my current homestead,"

"Weird way to talk about your freaky ghost possession."

"I had to look into what options I had left." Chara didn't acknowledge my jab other than with a little narrowing of their eyes, continuing to explain. "I'd never been in this situation before, after all. When I first awoke, I was already attached to Frisk. And that's how it had always been until you came along."

"And the truth is, Cter..." Their eyes went wide, shinning red in the dim light. "You're the one who gave me the strength to pull this off."

My jaw clenched, eyes narrowing at them.

"You gave me this flower and you told me to _rest easy_." Fury flared in their eyes, and they spoke through gritting teeth as they once again lifted that dark flower in a trembling hand. "You told me to fade away. You dismissed me, after _everything_!"

"You said you were all fucked up before you met me? Well I was real bored before I met _you_!" Chara stomped forward, boldly poking one finger into my chest. "And now, when things are finally getting interesting, I'm supposed to disappear? Go away? _Rest. Easy_?!"

"You said you didn't know if you were better or worse for having known me! Well I'm _a lot_ better for having known you!" Though rage still burned in their eyes, a grin now crept up their face. "And I know you're a lot better too!"

My fists clenched, and I took a step back as they continued to step forward, remaining in my face.

"And after your three sentence eulogy, I came to some conclusions." Chara's eyes narrowed up at me, finger remaining poked against my chest. "I _couldn't_ die. Not yet. Not with the future that was now within my reach."

" _You_ made me stronger, Cter." Chara's expression hardened back to that frown. " _You_ gave me the DETERMINATION to resurrect this tired old body and claw myself from my tomb. I'm back _Because. Of. You_."

"You're back because you're a nutcase." I stung coldly, knocking their hand away from me.

"Oh and you aren't?" They glared, tilting their head to the side. "Nobody knows who you really are better than me, Cter!"

"Not Frisk, not Sans." Chara held their arms out to the sides, shaking their head slowly. "Certainly not Monster Kid-!"

Rage flared in my expression suddenly, my teeth gritting and my lips curling back in a snarl to bare my fangs. And in that instant, I yanked back my fist, stomped forward, and sent a punch crashing into Chara's jaw.

Chara stumbled back, eyes wide as they hunched slightly, body tilted to the side. They slowly reached up, touching the small stream of blood now gently running from their lip and down their chin. They glared at me out of the corner of one infuriated right eye.

"Get out of here Chara!" I shouted, a certain measure of base entering my voice as I pointed to the side, snarling with fury. "I'm not playing this goddamn game with you anymore!"

"I have spent a lot of my life being an asshole and here I finally have a shot at being a good person!" I stomped forward, pointing at the ground with one finger. "I am happy here! People believe in me here, trust me here! I'm not just gonna throw all that away just for you!"

"... If you're so happy here..." Chara spoke softly, continuing to glare at me while they lifted that flower I'd crafted, displaying it once more. "Then why'd you miss me when I was gone?"

"..." I flinched at their words, eyes narrowing painfully as they once again threw that flower in my face.

"If I'm _really_ trying to tear you away from the perfect happy ending that you _totally_ want, why would you give a damn that I'm dead?" They took a step forward, squinting at me in their interrogation.

"... I don't care where you go, Chara." I shook my head slowly, not having the strength to answer any of the questions they bombarded me with. "But I can't have you around here anymore."

"..." Chara shook their head in disappointment, beginning to step back away from me. "We could be so much more than all this, Cter. Why do you refuse to look at the bigger picture?"

"I spent a real long time staring at the big picture, Chara." I shook my head, expression hardened as I stood tall before them.

"I cut people down, stabbed them in the back, pushed them away - just to paint a big picture that _I_ wanted." I confessed, staring with cold and unblinking eyes at Chara. "And when the bullet shells hit the ground, when the curtains called and the lights went out..."

"... When I put the paintbrush down, and looked at everything that I'd ever done... It, was exactly what I wanted." I frowned, looking down for a moment and shaking my head. I looked back up at them, pursed my lips, and narrowed my eyes to hide the pain I was certain was visible in them.

"And it was ugly."

Chara didn't seem to have a response for that. I don't blame them; I'm the one who said it and I don't even know what to think about it.

So, instead of speaking, we just stared at one another. Unblinking. Contemplating the other's words until a rift opened in the air behind Chara. A strange kind of portal that they stepped one leg back into, looking at me like they were waiting for me to say something before they made their escape.

"... Don't come back." I finally spoke again. It wasn't an order or a demand. I asked them, quietly and calmly, not to return. "... Please."

"..." Chara smiled gently at me. "We both know you don't really want that."

They stepped through the portal, and they were gone.

For now, anyway.

I didn't really know what all of this meant. I didn't know how I felt about Chara being alive or about the words that had been exchanged between us.

I thought about it all the way back to the inn, all the way up the steps, and even as I crawled my aching, sleep deprived body back into bed without waking Frisk.

I wasn't sure if I was anxious or excited by their return. I wasn't sure of a lot of things, I didn't know a lot of things.

But, I know that, with all of the new information on my mind, with all of the possible dangers ahead, with the revival of my current arch nemesis...

I slept better than I've slept in a real long time.

* * *

*Before you, a black geyser pierces endlessly into the sky.

*There is a power in this place, and it shines deep within your very soul.

The large wooden doors creaked apart, Anthony and Angel peaking their heads into the castle skeptically.

"And you're sure this is a good idea?" Anthony glanced over at Angel, who scoffed.

"Nope. In fact every horror related thing I've ever seen tells me this is a shit ass idea." Angel shrugged. "But it's either look for help in the castle or keep wandering around out there with the scythe slinging slasher."

"Welcome, heroes."

The two humans jumped, eyes darting around the castle quickly as they immediately stood back to back.

"Don't be alarmed, you are safe here. I do not wish to harm you. I am a friend."

Anthony and Angel both looked suddenly to the fire that had been instantly lit in the chimney at the back of the room, illuminating the darkness and with it, the figure that had been speaking to the two boys.

It was another young man, clad in a crimson cloak that Anthony could only describe as wizardly. To add to his wizard theory, the boy still had one hand held out to the recently lit flames, and embers dropped quietly from his palm.

He had black hair that was tinted to a dark shade of red if one looked closely, and his skin was on the paler side.

"Anthony, Angel..." He smiled gently, standing with perfect posture and placing his hands behind his back.

"It is wonderful to finally see you."

* * *

When I finally awoke from what I could only describe as hibernation, it was from Frisk giving me a shake or two, making me stir groggily.

"Uh, Cter?" I heard Frisk's voice, and I managed to peek open my left eye half way open to look up at them.

"Mnneehh..?" Was the only response I managed, but it did make Frisk laugh a little.

"You looked like you really needed it, so I let you sleep while I took care of Papyrus's date. I hope that's okay." Frisk smiled timidly, and gradually I managed to sit up, the blanket falling off of me and revealing that I was shirtless.

"Huh..? Oh, uh... Cool. Good-" I yawned, stretching my arms into the air above me after I turned to let my legs swing over the side of the bed, my back to Frisk. "Job..."

Frisk paused for some reason, and when I looked over my shoulder I realized that they were staring with wide eyes at my back. Or, if I had to guess, the symbol that had been burnt into it. The symbol of The Angel. The Deltarune.

"... You keep starin' and I'm gonna start chargin' ya for it." I smirked at my little joke, and they jumped slightly as they realized what they'd been doing.

"S-sorry!" They threw their hands up defensively. "I just... Uhm..."

I cocked a brow at them, and they looked away.

"... Did it hurt..?"

"When I fell from heaven?" I continued to half ass joke, standing and grabbing my shirt from the side of my bed.

Frisk frowned at that, giving me an exasperated glare while I pulled my shirt over myself, covering the symbol of The Angel that had been engraved upon my flesh.

'When you got... That." They corrected me, and I turned around to face them.

"It felt." I shrugged carelessly. "But no, it didn't hurt."

"Do you regret it at all?" Frisk asked with some concerned curiosity as I grabbed my trademark hoodie from the foot of my bed.

"Getting super powers and becoming a demi god?" I snerked, cocking a brow at them. "Why would I?"

"Because it makes you a little inhuman?" These words really seemed to have tumbled out of Frisk's mouth, judging by how their eyes widened after they said them.

"... Well, _I_ never saw it that way." I said, brow furrowed while I pulled my jacket sleeves over my arms. "Didn't know ya looked at me like that, bud."

"N-no! I-I didn't mean-!"

"Relax." I lifted one hand dismissively, and Frisk frowned as they went quiet, their shoulders sinking with guilt and regret.

"Nobody's human, Frisk." I shook my head as I spoke casually, stepping past them towards the door. "Human's just a word. So is monster, so is demi god, king, Angel, you get the idea."

"So you're saying everyone is equal?" Frisk followed after me, watching me take hold of the door knob attached to the door that led outside of our humble hotel room.

"I'm saying there's less categories of worth than people think there are." I answered, still looking at them over my shoulder as I pulled open the door and stepped through the doorway.

Well, attempted to step through the doorway. There was kind of this skeleton in my way.

I stepped back, blinking once or twice before looking up with confusion at the face of the one who's chest I'd just bumped face first into.

"We need to talk." Gaster was quick to say, staring down at me with wide sockets.

"Uhh... Good to see you too?" I furrowed my brows, taking a step back from the door and letting Gaster step inside, closing the door behind himself.

* * *

"I am the prince of this place." The robed boy explained, smiling gently. "The Kingdom of Darkness, that is."

"Anthony, Angel... There is a legend in this land. A legend that one day, two heroes of light will come, and fulfill the ancient prophecy foretold by time and space."

"Didn't know the storage closet came with exposition." Angel muttered to Anthony, who waved him off, though he couldn't help but smile lightly at his friend's joke.

"Please, heroes, I know this is sudden and confusing, but... Listen to my tale, won't you?" The young man in red pleaded.

"Ah-!" Angel lifted one finger to speak, but Anthony interjected before he could make a remark.

"We're happy to hear it." Anthony smiled a warm, friendly smile that reassured the prince. Angel sighed and rolled his eyes at his companion's kind nature.

Though Anthony's sweet and caring personality is what had drawn Angel into being his friend in the first place, he had to admit that he wished Anthony would say 'No' to people every once in awhile.

But, things had always been that way between the two. Where Angel was apathetic, Anthony was caring. Where Angel was sarcastic, Anthony was sincere. Where Angel was negative, Anthony was positive. It had been that way since the two were children.

Perhaps that's why Angel - though he'd never admit it - needed Anthony around. The boy evened him out. Kept him from being able to get too down. In a world that seemed all too negative for Angel, Anthony was a never ending source of positivity.

And, on some level, Angel felt he had to protect Anthony. Though Anthony was certainly stronger than Angel - that had been apparent since the two had hit puberty - Anthony was also naive. He believed too much in the kindness in people and never saw the malice in them, of that Angel was sure. He was also nervous, and could get very self conscious.

So, the two worked out an unspoken and unbeknownst to themselves agreement. Anthony would keep Angel happy with his never ending positivity, and Angel would support Anthony's kind soul to make sure the albino boy always felt that his caring nature was impacting someone and improving someone's life.

Or maybe they just got along because they were the only humans in their hometown. Who's to say?

"Thank you." The prince smiled gently in response to Anthony, before beginning.

 **"For millennia, Light and Dark have lived in balance,**

 **Bringing peace to the world.**

 **But if this harmony were to shatter...**

 **a terrible calamity would occur.**

 **The sky will run black with terror**

 **And the land will crack with fear.**

 **Then, her heart pounding...**

 **The Earth will draw her final breath.**

 **Only then, shining with hope...**

 **Four heroes appear at Worlds' edge.**

 **Only they can seal the fountains**

 **And stop Chaos Incarnate from returning.**

 **Only then will balance be restored,**

 **And the World saved from destruction.**

 **Today, the Fountain Of Darkness-**

 **The geyser that gives this land form-**

 **Stands tall at the center of the kingdom.**

 **But recently, another fountain has appeared on the horizon...**

 **And with it, the balance of Light and Dark begins to shift."**

"Anthony, Angel..." The prince smiled gently. "Thank you for listening to my tale. I truly believe you two are the heroes from that legend, and the two of you have the courage to save the world."

 _Did he... Not see us fleeing from the scythe lady?_ Angel found himself wondering, though he chose not to vocalize their previous cowardice.

"Delta Warriors, please, won't you accept your fate?"

"Uhh..." Angel wanted to say "Hell no get me dafuq outta here", but he shot a glance to Anthony first to make sure he didn't-

Ah, shit.

Anthony had this real star struck look on his face. Those ruby eyes were wide in wonder, and his lips were curved up in an open mouth smile, his jaw remaining dropped in awe at the glamorous destiny that had been thrust upon him.

Angel grimaced at that childlike wonder that Anthony displayed. He didn't want it, but he figured that Anthony would love this opportunity. His albino friend had always been filled with that desire to help people. Angel often wondered what Anthony felt he had to prove.

"This is so cool, Angel..!" Anthony whispered excitedly, looking over to his best friend. Angel forced a smile in response.

But, if becoming some kind of hero would help fulfill this unspoken dream of Anthony's, then Angel owed it to him. Angel sometimes felt he owed Anthony a lot.

"H-heh, yeah!" Angel grinned right back at Anthony, ignoring the nervous sweat he could feel forming on his brow.

"So you'll help us?" The prince's face lit up.

"You got it!" Anthony gave a thumbs up, grinning wide.

"Oh, thank you!" The prince rushed forward, taking Anthony's hand and shaking it excitedly.

Angel watched as his two companions laughed and shook hands, gulping silently.

"Okay, hate to rain on the parade, but you said there's supposed to be four of us." Angel cocked a brow, watching the two let go of one another in front of him.

"I count three." Angel gestured between the two and himself, and Anthony looked to the prince with some confusion as well. "Where's our fourth?"

"Oh!" The prince's eyebrows rose, before he took hold of his chin. "Well, they're... Uhm... Huh..."

In the next instant, the window across the room shattered open, and through it a feminine figure flung in, firing like a bullet and kicking directly into the prince's chest, sending him exploding back across the room and out from the window on the opposite wall!

"Ah ha ha!" The young woman back flipped, landing on her feet and throwing her head back, sending her long black hair flinging back through the air. She spun her scythe from her back, pointing the blade at Anthony and Angel, who stood bewildered.

"Finally caught you!" The girl spoke, grinning wide. It was then that the two noticed that her face was painted white and black like some kind of cartoony skeleton. Around her eyes it was painted black circles, and little cracks were painted throughout the rest of her ivory painted face. Her mouth had been detailed over with skeletal teeth.

And yet, despite her makeup, what stuck out and stunned Angel the most was that energetic, excited and... A little chaotic gleam in her ice blue eyes.

"After my dad hears how easily I put you chumps away, he'll make me Daughter of the Month!" Their attacker gloated, that scythe gleaming with an icy chill.

* * *

"So... Error Sans." I sat on my bed, narrowed eyes staring at the floor. I hunched forward, hands clasped together.

"Yes." Gaster nodded. "He's, a bit of an enigma. You see-"

"I know who he is." I lifted one hand to silence Gaster, shaking my head before I looked up at him. "Why does he want me?"

"... Like I said, Error is an enigma. No one is certain how he came to be, but there _was_ a point in which he was a regular Sans." Gaster's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "But somehow he was turned into..."

"A glitchy, photo negative sociopath." I finished, and Gaster nodded, snapping his fingers and pointing to me.

"Yes. That." Gaster agreed. "One of the many theories that float around the concept of his origin is that he was morphed due to someone messing with the code. Changing it."

"... Hacking." I concluded, frown creasing my face.

Frisk's eyes widened some, and they looked between Gaster and I with concern.

"Error seems to believe that you could have played a hand in his metamorphosis." Gaster frowned. "And I'm certain he's prepared to kill us all on that hunch."

"All of this is based on Cter's title?" Frisk asked with confusion, making Gaster shake his head.

"The reality that Cter is from has... Great power over our own." Gaster looked to Frisk. "They can manipulate the code that makes up our very being with relative ease."

"If I _did_ make Error, which I'm not ruling out because I _did_ goof with this place a bit when I was in my world," I stood from the bed, making my way to the window and looking out from it into the quaint little town below. "I didn't do it on purpose. We were able to effect this place from my world, but sometimes it wasn't clear how."

"Wait, you mean Cter is from someplace outside of our multiverse?" Frisk fell deeper into confusion, looking between Gaster and I.

"It's, a lot to get into, Frisk." I looked over my shoulder to Frisk. "And kinda hard to wrap your head around. I'll tell you about it another time, alright?"

Frisk crossed their arms, looking away and pouting silently.

"So what do we do about this?" I turned around, looking back to Gaster. "Do we have an ETA on Error's arrival? Any kinda plan on how to handle him? Anybody but us three know?"

"You are the strongest of us, Cter. And you're the one Error is after. For these reasons I came to you first." Gaster explained, hands behind his back while he spoke.

"Hmm..." I nodded thoughtfully, before looking back to Gaster. "Well, thank you for warning me. You should get in touch with Sans."

Gaster nodded in agreement while I walked past him and Frisk, grabbing the pad of paper and pen from the table and writing my phone number on it.

"Here." I spun around, handing the number to Gaster. "Keep me posted."

"Will do." Gaster took the number, placing it carefully in his pocket.

"But what are _we_ gonna do?" Frisk asked, stepping up to me while I walked to the door and turned the knob, though I did not pull open the door.

"For now, we focus on freeing the monsters." I answered, turning to face them while keeping my hand on the door. "If Error gets into the timeline, it'd be a lot safer for everyone to have the surface to escape to."

"You certainly seem calm about this..." Frisk smiled somewhat nervously, sinking into their shirt some.

"I've faced the apocalypse before, I can do it again." I winked an eye shut when I spoke, and gave a reassuring grin. "We're gonna be alright."

Frisk smiled at that, Gaster as well. I pulled the door open, and Gaster opened a split in the very air, much like Chara had the night before. We stepped through our respective doorways, Gaster disappearing to presumably speak with Sans. Frisk and I made our way out of the Snowed Inn.

I know I acted calm, put on a brave face. Because that's what those two needed. The entire Underground didn't know it yet, but I was it's champion. So I _had_ to stand tall, and I _had_ to make sure they felt safe and secure.

But, this Error Sans thing wasn't a joke. In every comic, story, you name it that I saw Error in, he was a real force to be reckoned with. I was certain that he'd squared up with people stronger than me and come out on top before.

So, as snow crunched under my shoes, and Frisk and I made our way towards Waterfall, I came to some conclusions.

We were gonna need all hands on deck for Error. Anyone who could stand a chance needed to be there. We were gonna need all of the strongest players our timeline has to offer.

Which meant I was gonna have to ask Chara for help.

If I know Chara - and who does better than me? - they were certainly gonna twist my arm about it. Especially after I kinda begged them to leave forever last night.

Eugh... How embarrassing. 'Hey I know I told you to go away forever but could you help me fight Skelelucifer real quick?'

But... I have to get their help.

Whatever it takes.

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Angel demanded to know, drawing his spear from his back and spinning it in his grip, pointing the blade out to the one who had been hunting them.

"I'm!" The young lady jumped up, swinging her scythe down and resting the blade on the ground, goofily balancing on the scythe, upside down and looking out at the two. "The bad guy."

"..." Angel glanced over to Anthony, pointed to the raven haired woman with his thumb and made an expression that read 'You believe this shit?'

"So you chumps are try'na seal our dark fountain, huh?!" She flipped forward, landing on her feet and pointing that scythe at them once more. That is, after dramatically spinning it around an impressive - if not obnoxious - amount of times. "Just trying to _keep Chaos Incarnate from returning_ huh?!"

"... Yes." Anthony cocked a brow, nodding slowly. "That's, pretty much the plan-"

"Don't try to deny it!" The girl quickly pointed to Anthony, who squinted at her and threw his hands up to express his bewilderment. "We both know you'll go East! It's the only way you can return home!"

"But I, Lexi, the beautiful and totally badass Predator who hunted you chumperoos down, have this intricate two step plan to stop that from happening!" The girl stomped one step forward, that energetic grin yanking up her expression.

"Step one:" Angel and Anthony felt the temperature in the room seem to drop as Lexi pointed her scythe to the sky. "Open a can of whoop ass."

"Step two:" A cold gust of wind blew down as she swung her scythe down, the blade crashing against the tile floor.

 **"Equally distribute."**

* * *

"You know, was it Error?" The well dressed young man with ember tinted hair glanced away from the window that he looked out from and back to the dark colored Sans that stood across his office, arching a brow. "I've been a very busy man lately. Very bold of you to show up unannounced demanding an audience with me."

"All you new age glitches are busy." Error's eyes narrowed hatefully at the one that so fearlessly talked down to him. Called himself 'The Gatherer', as Error recalled.

"Well not all of us are building an Empire fresh off of stopping a genocidal maniac now are we?" Gatherer turned around to face Error, smiling that winning smile of his as he leaned forward on the wooden desk that was between the two, resting his palms on the wood and leaning forward to be at eye level with his visitor.

"Keep runnin' that mouth, kid." Error narrowed his sockets at Gatherer. "I'll turn this timeline to static faster than you can say 'I'm boned'."

"... Hm." Gatherer's smile died down some, before returning more confidently than before.

"Well I suppose you do have me in a bit of a precarious position." Gatherer stood back to his full height, placing his hands behind his back and looking down at Error. "I'll answer any questions to the best of my ability, and in return you'll leave me be."

"I'm a man'a my word." Error confirmed, that glitchy grin widening some.

"Now," Gatherer reached down, opening a drawer in his desk and pulling from it a carton of cigarettes. Then, holding the carton in one hand, he fished through his pocket and retrieved a lighter. "What is it that you so desperately need to know?"

"..." Error's grin shrunk about as much as was physically possible, his glitching eyes narrowing. "Does the name Hacker mean anything to you?"

Gatherer's eyebrows raised with surprise, eyes darting up from the single cigarette he was placing between his teeth. He paused like that for a moment, a metaphorical deer caught in verbal headlights.

"..." Slowly, Gatherer lifted that lighter, regaining his composure while he lit the cigarette he held delicately between his lips. "... Hacker."

A gentle smirk crept up the face of The Gatherer as he turned around, taking hold of his cigarette between his index and middle finger and slowly inhaling a breath of nicotine.

He pulled the cigarette away from his mouth, and slowly exhaled a steady stream of grey fog into the air. "Now _that_ is a sound for sore ears."

Gatherer looked over his shoulder to Error, who continued to watch him skeptically. He flashed that convincing, winning smile once more.

 **"What would you like to know?"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	13. Chapter 13: On Your Side

**Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, Deathwing676, Doctah Sawbones, 10burgers, Demonfan50, Skele, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, HiIMissedYou, and TBone8454.**

 **HiIMissedYou, your name warmed my heart and I thought you should know.**

 **To answer your question, TBone8454, I find a lot of songs that fit different story arcs, fights, chapters, etc. But if you're asking me for one song that could be a theme for the story like some kinda anime opening, I would probably say either Asphyxia from Tokyo Ghoul Re: covered by LeeandLie, Paper Moon from Soul Eater covered by LittleJayneyCakes, or Katharsis from Tokyo Ghoul Re: covered by Studio Yuraki.**

 **As for themes for characters, I've got some of those too. Such as:**

 **Cter: Ink by Finch and/or Ares by Winters Island.**

 **Anarchy: Mama Said Knock You Out by LL Cool J and/or Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons. **

**Hopefully that answers your question. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.**

* * *

"... And who are you supposed to be?"

Error's sockets narrowed at the hooded young woman that sat across the table from him. It was dark in the night club, the only real lighting provided from the multicolored rave lights that often washed over the two momentarily. Despite this, Error could clearly make out the ice blue eyes that pierced into him from across the circular table with a predatory glow.

Well, if nothing else, she had the eyes of a bounty hunter.

Called herself 'The Predator' from what Error had learned.

Another one of these filthy glitches making an uproar. That's surely the reason why he'd found her here, in this scummy Mafiatale night club "The Ribcage". If she was here, than someone here was fated to die. If Error had to guess, it was someone who _used_ to be feared. Until these brats showed up and started settin' new standards left and right.

Predator had her hood up, those beastly eyes glowing from within the shadow that hid the upper half of her face. Her lips curved down in a frown, and Error had felt a definite drop in temperature when he took a seat across from her.

"Error Sans." Error finally answered after one long staring contest. "And you're The Predator."

"Error Sans?" She tilted her head to the side, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. She lifted her legs, casually putting her feet up on the table and making Error's socket twitch with irritation. "Congrats! you aren't who I'm here for. So quit buggin' me."

"I know you aren't here for me. I'm here for you." Error squinted his sockets with some aggravation. "And that can be a very bad thing if you keep up that attitude."

"Yeah, shortstack?" Predator grinned wide, putting her feet down from the table and making her leaned back chair fall forward. She slammed one forearm down on the table, leaning forward and getting in Error's face. "Can it?"

Error's grin widened some, even as his left eye socket twitched with rage.

"... I'm just here. To get. Some information." Error spoke through gritting teeth, and Predator leaned back, getting out of his face and placing her hands behind her head.

"Oh yeah, guy I just met?" She tilted her head to the side. "And what information could I possibly have that you'd want?"

"..." Error narrowed his eyes, and his digits dug into the table cloth, as if the word he was about to speak stung at his throat.

"Hacker."

Predator's eyebrows raised with surprise, that grin disappearing from her face as she paused, like her brain was buffering.

"Red striped sweatshirt. Green eyes. You're from the same world, so I thought you might'a known him." Error tilted his head to the side. "Am I wastin' my time or what?"

"Knew him?" Predator repeated with some disbelief, leaning back forward to show that her interest had been piqued. "Not sure if anybody _really_ knew him."

"..?" Error cocked a brow to show he was listening.

"... Hm." Predator glanced to the side, looking to be considering something. She suddenly looked back to Error, grinning wide once more. "Tell ya what!"

"Hm?" Error watched as Predator stood, smiling right down at Error.

"Gimme a hand with this, and I'll tell ya everything you wanna know!" She gave a thumbs up down at the glitchy skeleton, who only looked more confused.

"Uhh... Give you a hand with wh-"

"HEY! EXCUSE ME!" Predator hopped up onto the table, calling out into the night club. "Can I get everybody's attention please?!"

Gradually, with Predator's insistent calling, the club lights turned back on, and the music paused, everyone looking to the human on the table.

"I'm lookin' for a Wing Ding Gaster!" Predator's eyes scanned the room as she spoke. "He's a mob boss! You all work for him!"

"This is a club under his jurisdiction!" Predator pointed down at the club beneath her, continuing to speak loudly and concisely, explaining things that were very obvious to the others in the room. "You all work for him and are criminals who would kill anyone trying to kill him!"

All of the club goers exchanged glances, completely bewildered by this young woman's boldness.

"Is any of this ringing any bells?" Predator looked out over the room, frowning at their shocked silence. "Come on guys, I really need to know!"

Error's jaw surely would have dropped if it could as he stared up at Predator, stunned just like everyone else by her lack of fear.

"I am a bounty hunter!" Predator continued to explain, gesturing to herself with open hands. "I am here to murder your boss, Wing Ding Gaster, in exchange for money from a client!"

Predator paused then, once again scanning the room, before shrugging.

"So, where is he?" She asked casually, placing her hands in her pockets.

. . .

The sound of guns being drawn rapidly and magic weapons appearing filled the room, and in an instant a thousand barrels bats and blades pointed at The Predator.

Grinning quite happily, Predator looked over her shoulder to Error, who was halfway through comparing her and the albino kid on a crazy scale when she caught his attention.

"Help me deal with these chumps, an' I'll give you all that info." She winked, holding out one arm and summoning an oversized scythe from her inventory.

"Scouts honor!"

 **Chapter 13: On Your Side**

 _"I still don't like you in the slightest."_

* * *

"Stop staring!" Frisk spoke in a hush, catching my attention and making me turn my wide, emotion filled eyes away from Monster Kid, who was busy talking to Sans at his post. "You're gonna freak him out..!"

"R-Right, right..." I shook my head, blinking once or twice before looking back to Monster Kid. I took one step forward, grimaced, and spun right back around.

"I'm goin' back to the Ruins." I spoke quickly, attempting to speed by Frisk, only for them to reach out and catch me with one arm, grunting with effort as they restrained me.

"No you're not!" They told me, clenching their eyes shut as they managed to push me gradually back towards Monster Kid. "You..! Made him..! A promise..!"

"But what do I even say..?!" I whisper-screamed right back at them, fighting them every step towards Monster Kid. "How do you introduce yourself to your best friend for the first time?!"

"Not by standing in the corner like a creep..!" Frisk grunted, DETERMINED soul glowing on their chest as they shoved me along.

"Now go! Say! Hi!"

One last hard shove, and I was tumbling forward, right into Monster Kid. The both of us plummeted to the ground, landing flat on our faces. I was mortified, and Frisk grimaced at the results of their shove. Sans looked pretty amused, though.

I was quick to jump to my feet, looking down to Monster Kid with wide eyes and watching as he groaned, eyes clenched shut. He was clearly still reeling from my sudden impact.

"S-sorry!" I exclaimed, kneeling down and wrapping an arm round him to help lift him to his feet.

"Yo, it's alright." Monster Kid smiled in a reassuring way as I let go of him after getting him to his feet.

"I'm Monster Kid." He introduced himself, smiling that smile that I had deemed to hold everything right in the world. "I don't think we've met before, have we..?"

"N-nope!" I answered a little too quickly, grinning wide to stop the nervous chattering of my teeth. "I'm Cter, nice to uhm, n-nice to meetcha!"

"Cter?" Monster Kid repeated with furrowed brows. "That name sounds familiar... Are you _sure_ we haven't met before?"

You're killin' me, Monster Kid. You precious cinnamon roll, you are murdering your best friend in the whole wide world. Or, soon to be best friend in the whole wide world.

Hopefully.

I shot Sans a nervous glance, and he shrugged in response, motioning his hand in a quick, circular move along motion to signal that I needed to come up with a lie quick.

"U-uh..!"

Now, I've done a lot of lying to a lot of people in my day, and I'd say I've gotten pretty darn good at it. But, something about Monster Kid's face, or maybe it was that innocent glimmer in his eye, make it impossible to tell him a lie. At least for me.

"Nope!" Frisk jumped in, putting an arm around my shoulder and grinning convincingly. "We just moved in from the capital, so there's no way!"

"Oh wow, the capital?" Monster Kid said with surprise. "What's it like down there?"

"Crowded." Frisk joked, and Monster Kid laughed.

With Monster Kid distracted, I sighed, taking a step back and leaning against Sans' post, reaching up and running a hand down my face.

"Hey, kid, I don't mean to distract from more important things," Sans spoke quietly, leaning forward in his booth. "But I talked to Gaster."

"Already?" I whispered, cocking a brow at him over my shoulder.

"We kept it brief." Sans' eyes darted to the side, before he leaned back in his booth, suddenly speaking louder. "Anyway, it's time for one of my legally required breaks. Howzabout you join me at Grillby's?"

"Uhh..." I shot a glance over to Frisk and Monster Kid, who were talking up one friendly storm. "... Yeah, sure."

"Great." Sans stepped out from behind his booth, looking over to me.

"Over here, I know a shortcut."

* * *

Anthony and Angel exchanged a quick glance, before Lexi dove forward, spinning and tearing her scythe from the floor as she launched at Angel, swinging her scythe over hand down at him.

Anthony jumped between the two, rising his shield on instinct and sending the chilled scythe clanging back.

Lexi's jaw clenched as she recoiled back through the air, landing on her feet and glaring at Anthony before Angel jumped over the ducked down Anthony's head, pulling that spear back over his shoulder and jabbing down at Lexi, who stepped to the side, the spear stabbing through nothing but air as Angel landed at her side.

Angel immediately spun to face Lexi, slashing at her with the tip of her spear as he turned on his heel, only for her to jump back out of range of the swing, pointing her scythe out at Angel as frost once again built over the blade.

Anthony darted forward, holding his shield up before him as he slid between the two, the blade of ice that fired from Lexi's scythe shattering against the metal of his shield.

"Hey!" Lexi growled as she jumped back further from the two. "Stop working as a team! No fair!"

"All's fair in opening cans of whoop ass." Angel pointed out, aiming his spear out at Lexi.

"Hmm..." Her eyes narrowed in thought, hand reaching up to stroke her imaginary beard. "Well that _is_ a one hundred percent fact..."

"Fine then!" Lexi suddenly jumped high into the air, Angel and Anthony watching in bewilderment as she elegantly front flipped over them, spinning in air and landing in the window frame of the window she'd broken in through, crouching down in it and looking at them.

"I'm gonna get my own super cool team, and we're gonna kick your butts!" Lexi declared, pointing at the two menacing before hopping back out from the window and disappearing into the night.

"... Well that didn't take long." Anthony said, brows furrowed with confusion.

"Yeah I uh, I feel a little silly for running from her now." Angel put his spear on his back before placing his hands on his hips."

"Oh, good! You two are alright!"

The two looked over their shoulder to find their wizard friend had gotten back to his feet and was walking back towards them from where he'd been knocked prone by Lexi's sneak attack.

"We should really be sayin' that about you." Angel's lips curved up some in a friendly smile. "Looked like you got kicked pretty hard."

"I'm okay, she just caught me off guard." He assured, smiling right back.

"Well that's good, uhh..." Anthony paused, suddenly looking to be thinking. "I'm sorry, I don't think we got your name?"

"Oh, right!" The wizard grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm the Gatherer of the Heroes, Xander!"

"Nice to meet'cha, Xander." Angel said halfheartedly, before glancing over his shoulder at the broken window. "... Any idea who _she_ is?"

"Eugh..." Xander sighed, expression reflecting exasperation. "That is the King's adopted daughter, Lexi."

"... And, unfortunately, our forth member."

Angel looked quickly back to Xander, eyebrows raised with surprise. Anthony did a double take.

"You mean the nutjob trying to kill us is the forth hero?" Anthony's mouth hung open as he pointed over his shoulder to the broken window with his thumb.

"I believe she has just been... Mislead by her father." Xander, explained, though he certainly looked exhausted at the concept. "We can convince her to join the right side, it's just going to take a bit of effort."

"Well you sure seem happy about that." Angel said sarcastically.

"I find Lexi's chaotic, sporadic and reckless lifestyle... Less than agreeable." Xander explained, and Angel shrugged.

"Meh, I dunno." He turned away from the two, walking to the window and looking out into the night. "She seemed cool to me."

"... Seemed cool?" Anthony repeated skeptically, scooting up next to Angel and squinting at him.

"..?" Angel cocked a brow at his albino friend. "Yes, that's what I said..?"

"Hmmm..." Anthony leaned closer, examining Angel's face.

Angel snerked, pushing Anthony lightly back out of his personal space as a smile formed on his face. "Back up, weirdo."

"I got my eye on you." Anthony assured Angel, before spinning around to face Xander.

"Well, are you both ready?" Xander asked, smiling lightly.

"It's time for our journey to begin."

* * *

I blinked once or twice as Sans and I suddenly appeared in Grillby's, glancing around with some confusion.

"Fast shortcut, huh?" Sans grinned up at me as he often did, and I scoffed with some amusement.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" I asked in a half joking manner, and Sans shook his head, beginning to walk towards the bar.

"'Sa lot harder than it looks." He said as I followed after him.

The two of us made our way through the bar towards the counter, Sans waving and punning through the many other regulars that greeted him before we took a seat at the counter, Grillby silently stepping over to us as he dried a glass with what had to have been a fireproof rag. Then again, he was standing on the wood floor and wearing clothes just fine, so maybe his body worked differently than regular fire.

"So, lets make this quick." Sans spoke as Grillby set the glass down, standing across the counter from us.

In the next moment, the other patrons of the bar seemed to freeze in time around us three, as if a spotlight had been cast upon us and everyone else disappeared in the dark.

"Error." Sans said simply, looking between Grillby and I. "Game plan? Anybody?"

"Uhh..." I looked to Grillby, who shrugged, before I looked back to Sans. "Fight, him? And... Win..?"

"Foolproof." Sans stated sarcastically, white dots in his sockets darting to the side.

"Well, the way I see it, we've gotta pull up with all of our toughest buddies." I rested my elbow on the counter. "That means us three, Gaster, Undyne, Asgore-"

"One problem there, kiddo." Sans raised one hand, and I arched a brow at him.

"People outside'a us three and Gaster, they don't know about all this multiverse extra-dimensional mumbo jumbo." Sans winked an eye shut. "It's a pretty well kept secret."

"... And?" I furrowed my brows with confusion. "I'd think everyone's lives are a bit more important than keeping a secret."

"Yeah ya think that, until suddenly everyone wants to either explore that multiverse or is terrified of what might come crawling out of it." Sans explained, tapping his digits on the counter.

"... These things are kept secret for a reason, Cter." Grillby finally spoke up, Sans and I both looking to him. "It's not information everyone can be trusted with."

"And guys like Undyne and Asgore are tough, but they don't measure up to guys like Error." Sans shook his head. "Not unless Undyne's gonna pull off her magic girl transformation, but I for one don't wanna roll the dice on that one."

"... What about Papyrus?" I spoke hesitantly, watching the pupils instantly disappear from Sans' eyes.

"Look, I don't wanna bring him into this either, but he's one of the toughest people we've got around." I shrugged. "And I think having a Papyrus would give us a bit of a strategic advantage on the evil Sans on our hands."

"... Leave. Papyrus. Outta this." Sans ordered, teeth gritting in his grin.

"Sans, it was just a suggestion." Grillby attempted to peace keep.

"A suggestion for what? That we send Papyrus out to fight a screwy killer version of his brother?" Sans looked to Grillby, anger flaring in his eyes. "The one that's here because of _this guy_?"

" _This guy_?" I repeated with a good measure of irritation in my own voice.

"I'm sorry, just to clear things up, are we talking about the guy who was torn away from his previous life by you dill holes or the one who graciously gave his life hundreds of times to save your ungrateful asses?" I leaned forward, tilting my head to the side incredulously. "Oh wait, WE'RE THE SAME GUY!"

"Cter!" Grillby tried to intervene, before quickly being cut off.

"You fought Chara because you had to so _you_ could survive. You don't give a damn about us." Sans growled, glaring deep into my eyes.

"Sans!" Grillby exclaimed, looking to Sans, who didn't acknowledge him in the slightest.

"What in God's name would make you believe something that fuckin' dumb?" I raised my voice, feeling ink begin to slither under my jacket.

"Gee I dunno, maybe when you tried to leave my brother for dead last timeline?" Sans stung with venom, and I recoiled, emerald eyes widening.

"I'm the judge for a reason, Cter. I've got an eye for it." Sans shut his right eye, staring into me with his left. "And I could smell blood on you from the moment I met you. The only reason I opted to help you was because you were the lesser of two evils."

I could feel my jaw clench, body twitching with the adrenaline that my fury sent coursing through my veins.

"... Take it back." I spoke through gritting teeth, fingers beginning to crack and bend the wood they gripped.

"Why should I?" Sans squinted his sockets at me. "Why should I, when you left Papyrus for dead? When you suggest we use my brother as bait to save your sorry ass? When you told me Chara was gone, only for me to look out my window that night and see you n' them chattin' it up?"

"I tried givin' you the benefit of the doubt, but just like every other human, you've let me down." Sans dared lean forward, staring right into my soul with that left eye, which was glowing blue.

"Just like every other human, you're a lying, cheating, power hungry **asshole**."

"TAKE IT BACK!" I suddenly roared, reaching out and grabbing Sans by the collar of his shirt, yanking him into the air and standing from my chair. His eyes went wide as he watched me cock back my free fist, red mist beginning to steam from my knuckles. And, though I couldn't see it, the emerald of my left eye was looking all the more ruby.

 ***Kill him.**

"Take it back you ungrateful smiley son of a bitch!" I snarled, teeth grinding and vein popping out on my forehead. "Take it back before I-!"

My eyes darted to the side as one warm hand gripped my shoulder tightly, and I spotted Grillby there, glaring right at me.

"..." I paused, before growling, yanking my shoulder free and throwing Sans across the counter in one swift motion. Sans slammed into the shelves of different bottles, dropping down onto his butt before several bottles plummeted and shattered on him, drenching him in alcohol.

I turned away from the two, stomping towards the exit of the still frozen bar, before pausing.

"... If you guys really think that about me, then don't bother with Error." I looked over my shoulder at the two, the red gone from my eye and the mist gone from my fist. "Just like all your problems, I'll fix it without your help."

Sans and Grillby watched as I threw the door of the bar open, stepping through the doorway before slamming it behind me.

"..." Grillby slowly looked over to Sans, pushing up his glasses and making a glare cover his eyes. "... Not cool, Sans."

"That kid's got traitor in his blood, Grillbz." Sans stared ahead, pupils missing from his eyes. "Just you watch."

* * *

The snow had probably been melting under my feet from how steamed I was as I stomped back through Snowdin and to the entrance of Waterfall.

*They don't deserve you.

"Like I don't know that!" I threw my arms into the air, fuming. "Honestly, where does he find the skelenuts to say that to me?!"

*You're a throw away to these people. You'll help them and help them and they'll still spit in your face.

"Yeah, apparently!" I agreed furiously, snow crunching under my shoes.

*But you know who wouldn't throw you away?

I paused. I stopped walking, and the enraged expression disappeared from my face.

*They're going to treat you like a bastard either way, so why bend over backwards helping them when there's someone who would be so much more appreciative?

"..." I frowned, silently staring down at the words that, in that moment, made so much sense to me.

"... I just wanna talk to Monster Kid." I shook my head, walking through the text box and making it disappear.

It wasn't long before I was walking back up to Frisk and Monster Kid.

I'd like to say that it made me feel angry or jealous when I saw how happy the two looked, talking and joking along without me, but I felt numb. My previous fury had chilled over to a cool hatred.

*Something you're used to.

"How did it go?" Frisk asked, having rushed over and away from Monster Kid when they saw me. At some point they'd grabbed the dusty tutu from under the waterfall just ahead, and now wore it proudly. "Where's Sans..?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." I answered quietly, just keeping my eyes forward as I walked right by them.

"..?" Concern overtook Frisk's expression as they watched me walk by, before they quickly walked after me.

I said I wanted to talk to Monster Kid, but upon being presented with other people, I felt I didn't really wanna talk to anyone. I didn't wanna be around anyone.

So we walked out, all three of us, through the rushing water and into that tall grass. We watched Papyrus attempt to talk the fully armored Undyne down from murdering us, but I wasn't really listening.

Eventually Papyrus walked away, and upon Frisk rustling the grass some, Undyne glared right at us. After a moment of pondering however, she put away the spear she'd summoned, and opted to fade back into the shadows.

We walked out of the grass, and Monster Kid said some stuff about how cool Undyne was before running off. I wasn't listening, until we were getting ready to continue on. That's when I finally spoke up.

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up with you." I didn't even bother masking how utterly dead inside I looked when Frisk shot me a glance.

"Cter..?" They tilted their head to the side slowly.

"... I need a minute." I looked down. "Please..."

"..." Frisk looked to be considering, before nodding.

"Uhm, alright Cter. If, that's what you want." They gave an attempt at a reassuring smile, but I felt the same.

I watched Frisk walk away, and then I felt alone. I found that odd, considering I felt that I didn't want to be around anyone.

Maybe I just didn't want to be around them.

"..." I leaned my back against the wall, sighing quietly as I slide down, eventually landing on my butt and running my hands down my face.

"I told you, didn't I?"

I looked up, frowning quite sadly while I watched Chara make their happy little way from the shadows.

"What do you want?" I asked exasperatedly, tired eyes watching them while I tilted my head to the side. "I'm not exactly havin' the best day."

"I noticed." They scoffed with amusement, crossing their arms. "You look like quite the sad sack. Monster Kid not cheering you up like he used to?"

"Surprisingly, it's a lot easier to bond with someone when you're the only two people alive in a couple mile radius than when you have the friendship machine that is Frisk to compete with." I spoke somewhat bitterly, eyes glancing to the side while my frown deepened.

"And Sans not as supportive now that he's the one who has to help you, and not the other way around?" Chara smirked lightly, tilting their head to the side.

"..." I continued to avoid eye contact. "... Yeah."

"I told you." Chara walked closer, standing over me while I looked up at them, chin resting in my palm and exhaustion in my eyes.

"Yeah, you said that already." I reminded them sourly.

"I'm the only one who knows you, the only one who really remembers you as you are." Chara smirked lightly as they spoke. "These fools are so comatosed on happiness that they will never begin to care about you. Not like I do."

"You killed me three hundred and fifty seven times." I spoke the number a little slower to emphasis just how many deaths that is.

"And somehow I'm still all you've got." They stung with an honest smile.

"..." My teeth ground with some aggravation, but I still did not stand. "You trying to get a black eye, Char-bear?"

"It wouldn't be the worst thing you've done to my eye." Chara shrugged, ever confident.

I sighed after that, reaching up and rubbing my eyelids tiredly. Then I climbed to my feet, regaining my thoughts as I did so before I looked them in the eye.

"I shouldn't be threatening you." I spoke honestly, and their eyebrows raised curiously.

"Oh yeah? Don't tell me you've picked up that pacifist crap." They squinted interrogatively. "You've been doing terribly so far if that's the truth."

"I'm perfectly okay with killing you or anyone else who threatens my way of life." I shoved my hands in my pockets while I spoke casually, and Chara certainly looked relieved.

"Oh thank god." They rolled their eyes. "I was really concerned for a moment there."

"The reason that I shouldn't be threatening you is because..." My eyes darted to the side, and I scowled at the words I knew would have to leave my throat. "... I need your help."

Chara's eyes went wide and their jaw dropped at that. That was, until their eyes narrowed, and their lips curved up in a wicked grin.

"... Ah Christ." I grimaced, eyes darting to the side.

"What's this?" Chara asked excitedly, and my shoulders sunk.

"Instant regret."

"The illustrious Cter, the Underground's hero, needs _my_ help?" They placed a hand on their chest, recoiling with surprise at their own words.

"I take it back." I groaned, rolling my eyes.

"Me, of all people! The terribly evil demon that he hates so much!" They threw their arms into the air in utter bewilderment.

"The one that, as I recall, he told to _get fucked_ less than twenty four hours ago!" Chara's eyes narrowed then, and they stepped forward, getting in my face and glaring into my eyes.

"Crazy how that works, isn't it?" They smiled through grinding teeth.

"... Look." I leaned my head back some, leaving my neck open as a sign that I meant no harm. Something like a less humiliating version of when a dog rolls over and shows it's stomach. "There's somethin' big comin'. Bigger than you. Bigger than me."

"Do tell." Chara tilted their head to the side. There was little curiosity in their eyes, just that smirk on their face.

"The multiverse is a big place. There's a lotta different versions of a lotta different people." My eyes narrowed. "Apparently one of them - a very powerful one of them - wants to kill me and destroy this timeline."

"Sounds like a you problem." They spoke with venom, smiling innocently and tilting their head to the side.

It's an everyone problem." I assured them in a low growl, leaning forward and narrowing my eyes as we glowered at one another.

"Not a me problem!" They grinned, shrugging and walking backwards a few steps away from me. "I can leave and go anywhere else at any time."

"..." I paused with thought, before eventually speaking again.

"... Except you can't."

"What?" Chara's expression grew a bit more serious, and they looked at me curiously.

"You're always talking about how well you know me, well I know quite a bit about you too." I smirked confidently as I took a few bold steps forward. "And I know you run a real no nonsense business."

"Mhm? And what's that got to do with this?" They cocked a brow, crossing their arms.

"If this place really didn't have anything to offer you, you would have been outtie five thousand the moment you got the chance." I smiled mockingly. "But you didn't leave. You stayed right here. Because this place still has something you want."

"To be exact, it still has _me_." I was grinning now, growing more confident as their expression grew more and more frustrated by the truth in my words.

"And ooooh, you want me real bad, don'tcha?" I widened my eyes, looming over them. "In fact I'd be willing to bargain that you aren't going _anywhere_ unless I'm goin' with ya."

"And that's why you _have_ to help me deal with Error Sans. Because you need me alive or else you will _never_ have the power to survive outside of this little ol' timeline you hate so much." I firmly planted one finger against their chest with a poke. "Without me, you're just as trapped as you were with Frisk or you were when you were dead."

Chara's eye twitched, nervous sweat forming on their brow as they ground their teeth, fearing the truth I spoke.

"So it doesn't matter where I go or who tries to kill me. Because to you there's only two endings to this story. One where we team up or one where you get to kill me. Those are the only two options in your sick little mind and you're gonna do whatever it takes, fight with me or against me, to make sure you get one of those endings." I smirked venomously. "And right now, Error is threatening _both_ of your fucked up fairy tail endings. And the only thing you hate more than me is not getting what you want."

"So me asking you for help was a luxury. It was me being polite." I grit my teeth angrily, getting right in their face and glaring into their eyes. "Because you _have_ to help either way, so long as you want your plans to come together."

"Any questions?" Looming over them and glaring down into their eyes, I tilted my head to the side. "See any flaws in my deduction, Dick Head?"

"..." They were quiet for a long time. Staring up at me with eyes narrowed in thought. And after one of the most intense staring contests of my life, they exhaled and stepped back, the tension lightening the further we got away from one another.

"... So, Error Sans." Chara repeated the name carefully. "Always with the skeletons, isn't it?"

"Everything is at stake here, Chara." I shook my head lightly. "We're the strongest people in this timeline. We're the only ones who can make this a winning fight."

"... Usually favors like these go both ways, Cter." Chara's eyes narrowed, their lips curving up only slightly. "What are you willing to give me as payment for helping you save this world that I _**loath**_?"

"..." I frowned, and I held my tongue. Another staring contest went on for seconds that felt like hours while I considered my next words and actions very carefully. I felt certain that this next moment would seal my fate.

Death outstretched a contract.

And I had fallen with a pen.

"... Then I'll make it happen." I spoke, and Chara's eyes narrowed curiously.

"What..?" They cocked a brow.

"I'll make sure you get one of those endings." I spoke solemnly, expression unmoved. "You'll get what you want, one way or another, so long as we stop Error."

Chara stared at me like I was offering a rat trap with the seven Dragon Balls as the bait. Their eyes narrowed, and they pursed their lips, before they took a few slow steps forward and got close enough to speak so quiet that I had to listen to every word:

"Don't. You. _Dare_." Chara's jaw clenched, and they slowly reached up, planting one finger into my chest. "Don't you _dare_ say those words if you don't mean them."

I didn't speak. Instead, I maintained eye contact with my icy emerald eyes while I reached over my head with both hands.

I opened my left hand, palm exposed while my pen appeared in my right. And in one swift motion, I slashed across my left palm, leaving a bleeding gash diagonally across the skin.

My signature.

Crimson trickling down my palm, I lowered my arm and outstretched my hand to them.

Chara's eyes reflected shock as they darted between my unblinking stare and my crimson offer.

"... You would really give everything?" They stared at my hand, shaking their head slowly. "Your life, your future. All to me. All for them?"

"There's no loading back in the void where we're fighting Error. No RESETs. I'm putting the same price on the line that you are." I kept my emotionless expression as I explained.

"But I have a chance at surviving." Chara narrowed their eyes. "Do you not understand the implications here? With this deal your life will be forfeit. Your final choice will be whether to die or kill until you die."

"Blood's gettin' dry, Chara." I nodded towards my hand. "Don't tell me you're too worried for _me_ of all people to take me up on this deal. Or are you just afraid Error will kill you?"

"..." Chara's eyes narrowed, before they nodded once, lifting their own hands, that Real Knife appearing in their right hand. With one swift slash, a bleeding tear appeared across their left palm.

"There's no going back, Cter." Chara reached out towards my hand with their own.

I boldly stepped forward, gripping their hand tight and glaring deep into their eyes as out contract was finalized.

 **"For me, Chara, there never has been."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	14. Chapter 14: Best Friends

**Thanks go to Skele, Wingah, Zack Frost, Alrarora, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Gray Kanzakai, cassianaswindell123, 10burgers, BadDRUMMERboy15, WhoWritesThisCrap, Redskye22, XRabbit14, Infinity Soul, and DescendantYl2.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

We stood there like for seconds that felt like hours, trapped in the gravity of the situation. Our hands and eyes locked together.

Eventually, we let go of one another, taking a step back, not taking our eyes off of one another.

"Well, Cter, I suppose I'll see you whenever Error rears his ugly head." Smirking, Chara reached out to open one of their portals to escape.

"Wait." I lifted my blood stained hand, making them pause with confusion.

"What, you're just gonna show up and claim to be all I've got and then peace out?" I smirked lightly with amusement at my own words. "What kinda dead beat dad shit is that?"

"And what would you like me to do?" They asked, furrowing their brows.

I shrugged, gesturing to the path ahead. "It's a long walk."

"... You're joking." Chara leaned back, clearly recoiling at the notion that I would want to spend time with them without some form of death and/or destruction involved.

"Chara when have I ever made a joke?" I asked, grinning as they frowned, clearly not amused by such a dumb question.

"C'mon, dork." I gestured for them to follow, beginning to walk ahead. "I know you don't have anything better to do."

"... Well you got me there." Chara muttered, crossing their arms and glancing to the side as I walked by, before stepping after me.

"But why would _you_ want me tagging along?" Chara cocked a brow at me as they caught up with me.

"Meh." I shrugged, continuing to walk along. "If I'm alone I'm just gonna keep getting more pissed off about Sans' stupid shit talkin' ass."

Chara chuckled at that, smirking lightly at me as we walked.

"So you need me around so you _won't_ be irritated?" They questioned further. "I don't mean to question your logic, but-"

"Look, Chara, right now?" I looked over at them, gesturing to them. "You're the only thing that makes sense."

"Monster Kid doesn't remember me, Sans is picking a real bad time to get on my bad side, and some skeleton I've never met wants to tear me limb from limb." I looked ahead, shaking my head and sighing with exasperation.

"I'm... Tired of all these moving parts." I blinked, widening my eyes and looking to the ground. "I just wanna go for a walk with my mortal enemy. That too much to ask for?"

"..." They watched me curiously, before shaking their head, looking forward as well.

"You never cease to surprise me, Cter Hacker."

 **Chapter 14: Best Friends**

 _"It's either we team up or we die. Your choice."_

* * *

"So what's your opinion on Waterfall?" I cocked a brow over at Chara, who gave me a surprised look. Probably just from how utterly mundane my question was.

"My opinion on Waterfall?" They felt the need to repeat as we made our way over a bridge of flowers, likely already placed down Frisk.

"Did I stutter?" I asked sarcastically, and they glared.

"Well... It's not the _worst_ place in the Underground." Chara crossed their arms, frowning as they looked over the blue scenery. "That would go to either Snowdin or Hotland."

"Snowdin or Hotland, huh?" I snerked, lips curving up some as I placed my hands in my pockets, tilting my head to look over at them. "And what makes those places so bad?"

"Snowdin's frickin' freezing and and Hotland is literally a boiling lava pit!" Chara threw their arms up into the air. "The CORE would be great if it wasn't filled with Mettaton propaganda, and Waterfall is just a horrible, sticky, humid, wet mess!"

"The only good places in the Underground are the Ruins and New Home." Chara crossed their arms, regaining their composure and looking over to me with a frown. "And that's a fact."

"I'm not disagreeing with you." My lips curved upwards with some amusement as I watched them lament their frustrations at the Underground's layout.

"And what about you?" Chara cocked a brow at me. "What's your big opinion on Waterfall?"

"... Eh." I looked up to the ceiling as we stepped onto that wooden platform, which then began to carry us across the water to the bridge across the way. "S'alright, I guess."

"Riveting." Chara said sarcastically, rising their eyebrows to emphasis their fake intrigue.

"Only part I don't like is the rainy part'a the cavern." I shook my head, furrowing my brows.

"Really?" Chara seemed surprised. "You always seemed like the type of person who would like the rain."

"Why? Because I'm depressed?" I smirked over at them, and they shrugged, closing their eyes.

"You said it, not me." Chara returned my smirk as they peeked open that right eye to look over at me.

"Yeah, well." I stuffed my hands in my pockets, looking ahead. "Everybody loves the pouring rain 'till they get beaten within an inch of their life and left to die in it."

I didn't put thought in to those words, and to this day I'm not sure why. But when I looked over at Chara, wearing the same old casual expression, I was jarred by the bewilderment that had overtaken their face.

". . ?" They slowly tilted their head to the side, the corner of their mouth beginning to curve upwards slightly while they arched a brow.

"I'll tell ya about it some other time." I waved a hand dismissively, looking ahead as our little raft landed on the next chunk of land, the two of us stepping forward off of it.

"You know, there might not be some other time, Cter." Chara said, and I glanced over at them. "Depending on what ending you decide to give me, you and I could be saying goodbye soon."

There was malice in their tone, like they were trying to scare me. But, as it often was, I felt nothing. The future didn't ever seem to scare me, not when I had the past to be afraid of.

When the future came, I always made it work. Reckonings came and went. Debts were paid.

 _"Maybe I'm God, maybe I'm the Devil. I watch over you either way, my sweet little Angel."_

 _BANG. BANG._

 _"G-guh..!"_

 _"Well, you die like you're human. Crazy how that works, ain't it, asshole?"_

*Good times.

"... Does that make you sad, Chara?" The wood of the bridge creaked under out feet, and I looked up into the darkness of the cavern above.

"What?" Chara asked, like they really couldn't believe I would ask such a question.

"If I let you kill me." I explained further, expression not expressing much while I kept interested eyes on the shimmering blackness above. "If you destroy me, and we never speak again, would you miss me?"

"..." Chara considered my words. They furrowed their brows and puffed out one cheek, looking to the ground, as if the damp wood would give them the answer they were looking for.

"... I don't know." They answered honestly, and I looked back over to them with eyebrows raised. In all honesty, I had not expected that.

"I guess I hadn't thought about it, a world without you." Chara raised their eyes to the ceiling, reaching up and taking hold of their chin in thought. "I've been very focused on getting to it, and haven't considered much what I'd do when I'm there."

"..." I don't know why hearing that made me smile, but it did nonetheless. And when Chara saw that smile, boy did they frown, squinting their ruby eyes at me.

"... And what are you smiling at?" Chara asked, clearly aggravated by the fact that it seemed they'd accidentally made me happy.

"It's nothing, really." I answered, smile almost seeming to be glued to my face as I looked down the path ahead.

"It's just that this time _you_ surprised _me_ , Chara Dreemurr."

* * *

Error's glitching eyes glossed over the many overturned tables and broken windows with twitching legs protruding from them, along with the groaning, freezer burnt bodies that were scattered across the floor, each one weakly writhing in pain.

There were some piles of dust, but Error had contributed most of those, as one would be able to tell from the dusty bones that jutted from the walls and the floor in some spots.

These deaths were, of course, of no consequence to Error. They were all just glitches, anyway. Anomalies that should not exist. They were different, and because of that they were wrong.

"Where. Is. Gaster?"

Error looked up, grinning in mild amusement at where Predator stood on the stage, holding her hand over the face of some grizzly bear looking monster, who's body was half encased in a block of ice, only his chest and head free.

But as Predator leaned in to get in the monster's face, he roared, snapping his jaws at her and making her lean her head back out of the way, laying a swift slap across it's face, throwing it's head to the side a sending the sound of the smack echoing throughout the club.

"Where's Gaster?!" She snapped, grabbing the bear by the collar, blood now running from his broken lip.

"Gaster will kill me if I tell you..!" The bear confessed, jaw clenching with pain and frustration, but mostly to stop the chattering of his teeth. "That's politics around here!"

"Well I'm gonna kill you if you don't tell me!" Predator snarled, frosted breath seeping from between her barred fangs.

"Predator."

Predator paused her interrogation, looking over her shoulder to Error with a calm smile.

"Yeeees?" She asked patiently.

"I helped you Lone Digger this joint." Error carelessly waved his hand out to the carnage in which the two were the only ones still on their feet. "Now hold up your side'a the bargain or we're gonna have a real problem on our hands."

"Right, riiiiight." Predator nodded once, before turning back to the bear and patting him on the chest. "You stay right here sweetie I'll be back for you."

"You know," Predator turned back to Error, hopping from the stage and landing right on some beaten bystander's gut, making them groan before she stepped off of him, grabbing a chair from a table and pulling it free, spinning it around so that the back was facing Error and sitting in it, resting her arms across the back and leaning her chin onto her forearms. "I didn't think you'd know about a song like Lone Digger."

"Yeah well I jump between that and Spooky Scary Skeletons on my morning jogs." Error's pupils darted to the side as his grin widened at his joke.

"Now," Error lifted one hand, and Predator's eyes narrowed some as she watched blue strings fire from his finger tips and launch across the room, grabbing a chair and tearing it into the air and bringing it down to the ground before him, where he sat casually, tilting his skull to the side.

"Whaddaya know about Pencil Pusher?"

* * *

"Huh. Sans is usually here." Chara stated plainly as we came up on his telescope, set next to the room where the Nice Cream Man was likely to be sadly manning his ice cream cart.

"That would have been a little awkward." Chara smirked lightly, glancing over at me with their little joke.

"Lil' bitch is probably ducking me 'cause he knows I'll slap the shit out of him." I fumed quietly, sinking into my jacket and frowning. My displeasure certainly made Chara chuckle, though.

"It's not as easy as it looks." Chara admitted, before cocking a brow as I didn't seem to notice their words, instead pausing and glancing into the Nice Cream room.

"Hmm..." I stroked my imaginary beard in thought, before shrugging and glancing back over my shoulder at Chara. "I'm gonna get some nice cream. You want anything?"

Chara looked at me like I'd just offered them human flesh for dinner, completely taken aback. "... What?"

"Do you. Want. A sweet. Frozen. Treat?" I widened my eyes, repeating my words comically slowly. "C'mon Chara, you can't be shocked every single time I ask you a question."

"Well who just offers their mortal enemy ice cream?!" Chara exclaimed, face growing red in embarrassment.

"The same guy who invites them on a pleasant walk now do you want one or not?" I turned around to face Chara, impatiently awaiting an answer.

"Well... It has been awhile since I've had ice cream..." Chara pondered aloud, glancing to the ground.

"Great!" I exclaimed, making them look up as I turned and walked into the room.

"Hey, wait-!" Chara reached out, before groaning and letting their arm drop back to their side, frowning deeply. "Ah, forget it."

After a few moments, I reemerged from the room with a Nice Cream in each hand, walking over to Chara and casually outstretching one.

"..." Chara stared thoughtfully at the wrapped treat, before squinting back at at me. "... You didn't poison it, did you?"

"Yeah, I actually injected it with the syringe full of cobra venom I keep in my back pocket." I gave them an exasperated look to accompany my sarcastic remark. "It takes the ice cream or else it gets the hose again."

"Silence Of The Lambs?" Chara cocked a brow while they took the ice cream.

"Joe Dirt." I answered with a shrug.

"Ah." They nodded, tearing the wrapper from their Nice Cream. "Should have known."

"'You look nice today'..." I read aloud, smiling a little after looking at my wrapper. "Aww."

"'Is this as sweet as you?'..." Chara read their own aloud, before arching a brow and speaking thoughtfully. "Well, I _am_ sweet..."

I laughed at that, but they didn't seem offended. Perhaps they'd wanted me to laugh. I never asked if they had been telling a joke or if they were delusional. I like the thought that they'd been joking, however. Because that would mean they had been trying to amuse me, which was very unlike them.

We continued on our way while we ate our nice creams, walking through the room with that beautiful glowing blue water.

"... I don't understand you, Cter." Chara confessed after an admittedly long pause.

"Hm?" I looked over to them, tilting my head to the side with some confusion.

"In the time loop, you were happy fighting savagely with me forever." Chara began, furrowing their brows and keeping their eyes on the ground. "And then I give you the offer to do just that on a much larger scale, and you kill me."

"And then when I'm gone, you miss me!" They threw their hands up with confusion, still not looking at me. "And then when I come back, you punch me in the face and tell me to go away forever."

"But then you realize you still need me, so you offer up everything to get me to stay." Chara closed their eyes, shaking their head and running a hand through their hair.

"And then you invite me on this..! This stupid..!" Chara waved their arms all around, gesturing to the world around us. " _Ice cream walk_! And talk to me like we don't have this screwy, twisted up relationship! And you're _surprised_ when I look at you like you're being weird when you're being nice to me even though that _is_ weird!"

"You say _I'm_ the one and only thing that makes sense to you," Chara suddenly turned to look at me, and I was already recoiling from the words that were unstoppably tumbling from their mouth. "But you're the one and only thing that makes absolutely _no_ sense to _me_!"

"Why can't you just make up your mind?" Chara demanded to know. "Friend or foe! Me or them! It's not hard!"

"It's like one second you're perfectly content here and the next you're done with this place and want out!" I watched them with wide eyes, utterly stunned by their sudden show of emotions.

"Even now when you literally have to pick between dying and joining me, you won't give me a straight answer!" They pointed at me angrily. "Because you don't have one, do you?"

"It should be pretty obvious considering one of your two options is being dead, but you still can't make the choice, can you?" Chara narrowed their eyes in a glare, stepping closer. "How can you be that indecisive?"

"..." I blinked a couple times, eyes wide. I hesitated before I spoke. "... I don't know."

"I wanted to be a good person because I thought it would make me happy." I glanced to the side. "But I've been trying to be nice and friendly like a good person would be, and it hasn't made me feel any better."

"It _should_ be an easy choice, right?" I arched a brow at them. "Picking between hurting people and being kind to them. It's supposed to feel nice to be nice."

"..." My shoulders sunk, and my eyes drifted to the mushy earth that squished underneath my feet. "... So why doesn't it?"

"I guess it's probably because it's not working like it should." I shrugged, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

"Frisk is terrified of me half the time, Sans apparently thinks I'm a douchebag and has since day one which is real confidence booster." I rolled my eyes sarcastically. "I've hardly had any interactions with Papyrus outside of the base game BS, and Monster Kid doesn't even remember me."

"And I guess it's all reasonable." I frowned lightly, staring at the ground. "It's just... It seems like anyone who has any idea who I actually am doesn't give a damn that I'm trying. Like they think it's... Inevitable, me being a jackass."

My eyes narrowed painfully then. I looked tired, and I felt tired.

"... They're probably right."

"..." Chara tilted their head to the side, cocking a brow with genuine confusion. "... Cter, that's really dumb."

"Thanks." I shot them a glance from the corner of my eye.

"Well what do you want me to say?" Chara shrugged. "None of that crap matters. At all. There _aren't_ good people and bad people, Cter."

"I just don't understand how you can let yourself be so concerned what people think of you. Have you really let yourself slip that much in the few days out of our battle?" Chara questioned with furrowed brow. "Good, bad, nice, mean. All of that only has as much value as you give it."

"The only thing that matters in this life is strength." Chara grinned, stepping close as that crazed look once more entered their eyes. "What the weak think of you doesn't matter when you're strong. Reality is yours to shape, Cter. Everything can be yours as soon as you are willing to reach out and take it!"

"Then why do I feel like shit?" I blinked my tired eyes, tilting my head to the side.

"Because they make it so." Chara gestured out around us, presumably meaning the little people in our story. "You let yourself play in their world, when you don't belong with them. They are sheep, and you are a wolf, Cter Hacker."

"And of course a sheep would feel bad if the other sheep looked at it like a wolf..." Chara circled me, and I didn't have the energy to follow them with my eyes, their words ringing true in my mind. "But a wolf?"

Blackness oozed from their right eye as they stepped up behind me. A grin twisted their expression, and they reached out with one hand, placing it at the center of my back, and the center of the Deltarune engraved in my flesh just under my clothes.

"A wolf draws strength from the terror in their eyes." Darkness overtook the whites of Chara's eyes while they smiled wickedly. "A wolf's joy is in their screams, and no where else. Not in the sheep's games, not in the sheep's lies."

"It's a wolf's world, Cter Hacker. And you are most certainly a wolf. That's why you'll never be happy with the sheep. You can't live with them because _you. Are not. Like them_."

*I like this one. They understand. Understand like you used to.

"I think it's time you stop pretending, Cter." They circled back around me, wiping a black tear from their eye while they stood before me, a small smirk clear on their face. "You won't be happy as a sheep, and you know it."

"... So what?" I looked to Chara from the corner of my eye. "I have to eat them?"

"If you so desire." Chara shrugged, smile curving their lips upwards. "Their lives are in your hands."

It probably shouldn't have comforted me, Chara's words. Something so arrogant and grim should have been hard on the ears, but for some reason I was put at ease.

I stood there, looking on to the bright ceiling of glowing crystals above while I pondered the advice I'd been given. And then, eventually, I began walking forward again.

"... Come on, lets keep moving."

* * *

"Do you have _any_ idea what you've done?!" Gaster snapped, eyes alight in blue and orange as he glowered down at Sans, who casually leaned forward in his post, resting his elbow on the counter and his chin in his open palm, grinning right up at Gaster.

"Whaddaya want me to say, G?" Sans' grin widened, eyes darting to the side. "Honesty is the best policy. That's a rule they don't teach up on the surface, apparently."

"Cter isn't _from_ the surface, Sans!" Gaster threw one arm out to the side, gesturing to the world around them. "He's not from another timeline, he's not from anywhere in the multiverse!"

"..?" Sans narrowed his sockets up at Gaster. "... Gaster, if ya don't mind me bein' so bold, what _is_ Cter?"

"He looks human, he certainly acts human, but..." Sans' pupils disappeared from his eyes. "Judgin' by the terror in your eyes right now, he ain't human, is he?"

Gaster recoiled some, sweat forming on his brow as Sans glared up at him.

"What did you _do_ , Gaster?" Sans' jaw clenched. "Where were ya meddlin'? Do _you_ even know where Cter is from or who he is?"

"..." Gaster's eyes narrowed, darting to the side. "No."

Sans' digits dug into the sturdy wood of his post, cracks splitting the counter.

"Cter _is_ human, I know that much." Frowning, Gaster looked back to Sans. "But he's not like the humans we know."

"How isn't he, again?" Sans tilted his skull to the side. "'Cause he sure acts a lot like all the humans _I_ know."

"He's stronger." Gaster narrowed his eyes. "Much stronger. He just doesn't know it yet."

"Perfect." Sans' grin widened, his dot eyes darting to the side. "All the same genocidal tendencies with twice the power."

"Genocidal tendencies?" Gaster narrowed his eyes incredulously. "Cter has done nothing but try to save us monsters since he arrived here!"

"He only ever helped us to advance his own means." Sans looked back up to Gaster, grinning happily and winking an eye shut. "Kid's an ass."

"Oh, you think that?" Gaster tilted his head to the side. "I guess you haven't heard."

"Heard what?" Sans' grin shrunk some, and he squinted curiously.

"Cter made a deal with Chara." Gaster's jaw clenched.

"What?!" Sans shot up, slamming his palm down on the table of his post.

"Chara helps save us from Error, and in return, Cter has offered up his own life." Gaster's eyes narrowed. "He is giving his future to the devil in order to save us, even after you spat in his face."

"... Oh." A bead of sweat dripped down the back of Sans' skull as his eyes darted awkwardly to the side.

"Maybe if you had looked past your own racist trust issues and arrogance, you wouldn't have misjudged our savior." Gaster held his hands behind his back, glaring down at Sans. "Cter Hacker is in every way The Angel the legends have foretold, and he is willing to sacrifice everything to stop devastation from rocking our world."

"... Whoops..." Sans awkwardly reached up and scratched the back of his head, carefully considering the words that had scolded him so.

"Oh it gets more whoops." Gaster slammed his hand down on Sans' counter, continuing to grill him. "Cter's importance lies far beyond that of our reality. If he is allowed to die _now_ , the consequences could be devastating for trillions of innocent people."

"..." Sans' pupils disappeared form his eyes, and he anxiously leaned forward. "How?"

"There is another."

Sans' and Gaster's eyes both darted up to CORE Frisk, who sat atop Sans' post, looking up to the sky above, which dropped gentle snow down on the three.

"Who in the..?" Sans stared up at CORE Frisk, who didn't bother answering.

"Core Frisk." Gaster explained, looking back to Sans. "They have a very large presence in the multiverse."

"An _omnipresence_ in the multiverse, if you will." C Frisk smiled and winked down at Gaster.

"And what do you mean 'There is another'?" Sans cocked a skelebrow. "Kind of an ominous thing to leave open ended."

"There is another human from another realm, like Cter." C Frisk looked down to Sans. "He's powerful, he's malevolent, and among his wants are Death, Devastation, Chaos, and Cter."

"... Does Cter know about this?" Sans' pupils were once more gone from his eyes.

"As it stands, Cter has enough on his plate, and holding that plate already has him off balance." C Frisk blinked emotionlessly. "Currently, the details are unimportant."

"That's debatable." Sans' reappearing pupils darted to the side, his grin widening.

"But make no mistake, Cter is the only one who can hold a candle to Chaos Incarnate." C Frisk's void eyes narrowed. "And if Chara is allowed to kill him or turn him to their wicked side, The Anarchist will be unopposed and free to be a hurricane of mayhem across the multiverse."

"... So that's how powerful these kids are, huh?" Sans narrowed his eyes up at Gaster. "All from one irresponsible decision."

"We cannot change the past, Sans." Gaster spoke calmly, hands once again behind his back. "We can only prepare for the future."

"..." Sans' sockets narrowed down at the snow covered earth, before he nodded once.

"I'll talk to Cter."

* * *

I watched quietly as Chara stared down at the statue. It seemed Frisk had already put an umbrella in its grasp, shielding it from the rain and starting the music box hidden inside.

Chara's hair shadowed their eyes. They did not move and they did not speak for several minutes.

"... Do you wanna talk about it?" I'm not sure why I asked them that question.

"... No." They finally spoke, sighing before turning away from the statue, walking right by me and on to the pouring rain ahead.

I shrugged, not objecting as I walked after them, watching them pluck an umbrella from the bucket. I reached out to take an umbrella, but after a moment of thought, I retracted my hand, deciding to continue on without one.

"Interesting decision from someone who hates the rain." Chara commented, and I shrugged as I began to feel drops land on my head.

"It's something that I think about a lot." I confessed, looking up to the sky as more and more rain began to fall, splashing to the puddles around us and pitter pattering off of Chara's umbrella.

"What?" They asked simply, and I blinked emotionlessly up at the rain.

"I was too weak." I continued, Chara cocking a brow with confusion. "He was stronger than me. Stronger than everyone."

"He laughed when my bones snapped under his foot. I guess anything is funny when you look at it the right way." My hair was quickly matted to my head, streams of water beginning to make their way down my face. "Told me I wasn't strong enough, and that's why he won."

"I wasn't strong enough, and that's why he was able to kill her."

"Kill who?" Chara's eyes narrowed, and they tilted their head to the side.

I paused for a moment, before smiling lightly over at them.

"Did you ever let someone down, Chara?" I tilted my head to the side. "When they needed you the most, did you ever fail someone you cared about?"

"..." Chara went silent, and their expression hardened. "... No."

"Hm." I looked ahead, lips curved up in a small smile. "I don't think I've ever felt happy since that day. I don't think I've felt much of anything at all."

"... I still don't know what you're talking about, Cter." Chara spoke, and my eyebrows raised in some surprise as I glanced over at them.

"... Oh, right." I smiled again, politely. "Sorry."

"... You keep acting stranger and stranger." Chara narrowed their eyes.

"I guess I just feel strange." I shrugged lightly, clothes sticking to me from the water that rolled over me. "Saying goodbye is always hard, isn't it?"

...

Rain stopped rolling over me, and I looked with some surprise to find that Chara had stepped closer and lifted their umbrella higher, shielding the both of us from the downpour.

They stared ahead while I looked at them curiously. Their expression was hard to read. A lot of things were hard to understand these days, it seemed.

"... Yes." They agreed, not blinking in the pouring rain.

 **"Yes it is."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	15. Chapter 15: The Choices We Make

**Thanks go to brentonbaldwin1, puzzlemasterpapyrus, Gray Kanzakai, Okami Endless, Wingah, Fixer140.85, 10burgers, Skele, Solomon07, Guest, BadDRUMMERboy15, Jack54311, and NBoss01.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"So how'd you make it down there the first time?" Chara asked, gazing down the shattered bridge to the abyss below.

"Uhhh..." My eyes darted to the side, and I grinned nervously.

 _"You ain't shit drop into the abyss!" I pointed forward, that glowing red soul appearing on my chest before I bent at the knees, bursting off the ground and getting a running start. "You're a bum, I can handle you!"_

"..." Chara squinted at me, lips curving up some. "You jumped, didn't you?"

"Is it any worse that Undyne basically tossing your ass down there?" I cocked a brow at them, and they shrugged.

"I assume it hurt more." Chara estimated, and I shrugged, turning to face them and stepping backwards towards the edge.

"Yeah, well." I stepped back, foot leaning over the edge. "I'll never know."

And, with that, I let myself drop backwards, free falling down below. The last thing I saw was the surprised expression that overtook Chara's face.

"..." They leaned over the side of the bridge, watching me plummet into the blackness below, before stepping back away from the bridge and shrugging off their confusion, opening a portal and stepping through into what looked like the trash dump I was falling towards right about then.

They were snickering.

 **Chapter 15: The Choices We Make**

 _"How could you abandon your former world without so much as a second thought?"_

* * *

 _"This has been so much fun, Angel! I wish we could do this every day..."_

 _"Why can't we?"_

 _"Really?! Y-you mean it?!"_

 _"Of course I mean it!"_

 _"But... What if those kids see us..? If, they see you with me, they might..."_

 _"... Don't worry about them, Anny._ _Nobody else ever comes to this playground. It's all ours. No one's gonna bother us."_

 _"But... Every day? You would... You would really wanna spend that much time with... With someone like me..?"_

 _"Well, why wouldn't I?"_

 ** _"You're my best friend, after all!"_**

My emerald eyes snapped open suddenly, body jolting with life. My face had to have went pale when I looked up, my eyes locking with the ruby ones that stared calmly down at me.

"An-?!" I only let the first syllable slip from my mouth before enough logic returned to my brain to cut myself off, jaw clenching and eyes focusing in on the one who leaned over me. "... Oh, it's... It's just you."

" _Just_ me?" Chara smirked lightly, cocking a brow down at me. "I'm a little offended."

I didn't say anything, just staring up at them with some curiosity in my eyes. I was laying flat on my back, and they sat on their knees above me, head tilted to look down at me. "... I had a dream like this once."

"And how'd it end?" Chara tilted their head to the side inquisitively.

"You killed me." I answered honestly and plainly. For some reason, they smiled at that.

"We'll see, Cter Hacker." They stood then, reaching down and offering a hand to help me up, which I didn't hesitate to take.

"We'll see."

* * *

We walked for awhile longer. We talked, we joked occasionally. We came to the conclusion that we both think Mad Dummy is a jackass. Chara acted like they absolutely loathed, Temmie, but I dunno. I've seen them hating something and... The look they were giving those goofy fluff balls wasn't it.

"Well... Here we are." Chara crossed their arms, looking to the bridge that loomed in the distance, Frisk and Monster Kid visible walking towards it.

"Certainly looks like it." I nodded in response, hands halfway in my pockets as I looked out to the bridge ahead.

"Seems like just yesterday Frisk and I were trying to kill you right there." Chara smiled nostalgically. This made me scoff with a laugh.

"Yeah, wing nut, it sure does." I agreed with an amused smile. Though, to be completely honest, that felt like it was ages ago. Though the time between that and entering the time loop felt like nothing - considering I spent those days mostly unconscious while I received my magic - the fight between Chara and I felt like an eternity and a half.

Oh, I'm sorry. I've said that before, haven't I?

I guess it had just felt strange, this past hour or two I spent with Chara. Not trying to kill each other, every sentence not being punctuated with a slash or a stab or a blast or a slam.

... Yet it almost felt the same.

And, that was a good thing. I couldn't place why just yet, but it was a good thing.

So, maybe that's why after a moment of hesitation, I turned my head to look at Chara, and I spoke.

"Hey, uh... Thanks for tagging along." I said, and their eyebrows rose in surprise. "It's been fun."

"... Fun?" They repeated, disbelief on their tongue. "I know you said not to question everything you say, but if you really want me to do that then you have to stop throwing me curve balls."

"What?" I shrugged, smirking lightly as I began to walk forward, turning and facing them, walking backwards towards the bridge ahead. "You gonna tell me you didn't enjoy our walk?"

"..." They furrowed their brows, looking to the ground in thought.

"Well, you think on that, Char-bear." I waved with two fingers. "I'll see ya around."

With that, I spun on my heel, continuing on.

"Cter."

I paused, looking over my shoulder at them. "Hm?"

"I'm changing the deal." They spoke, and I turned back to face them, confusion written on my face.

"Not sure that's how deals work." I commented, and they only narrowed their eyes.

"The two endings. I want to change one." Chara said, and my eyebrows rose with surprise.

"If you chose to die instead of teaming up with me, you are _not_ to just let me kill you, got it?" They frowned. "you and I will fight, and if you lose then I will take your life."

"..." I tilted my head back skeptically. "And if I win?"

"Then congratulations, Cter Hacker." Chara's lips curved back upwards in another smirk. "The future will once more be in your hands."

"..." Slowly, I began to grin knowingly. "You know, Chara, perhaps it's the setting in which we got to know one another,"

I winked my right eye shut, ink slithering up from my sleeves and dancing in my palms as I shrugged.

"But I had no idea you could be so sweet!"

They squinted at me, and it looked like they were trying to frown, but they couldn't help but let their lips curve up just a little.

"I assure you I am not giving you this opportunity out of any kindness in my heart." They crossed their arms, tilting their head to the side.

"Oh yeah?" I asked cockily, crossing my own arms and tilting my head the opposite direction.

"I merely want one final challenge, a test of my own abilities. If I can't defeat you, then what hope do I have alone outside this wretched timeline?" Chara questioned rhetorically. "I certainly have no desire to let you escape me, one way or the other. I am certain you will either join me or die resisting me."

"We'll see, Chara Dreemurr." I narrowed my eyes with my smirk. "We'll see."

Chara narrowed their eyes, and a portal opened behind them.

"Oh, and Chara?"

They stepped back through the portal, but it did not close just yet.

"You'd totally miss me, wouldn't'cha?" I grinned, winking my right eye shut and tilting my head to the side.

Chara didn't speak. They just smirked and looked me in the eye while that portal closed. We maintained eye contact, unblinking, until the portal was shut, and they were gone.

"... Well that was intense." I commented, finally blinking.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

My eyes snapped right back open, however, at the boom of Undyne's voice.

I was quick to duck, a spear sailing over my head and stabbing into the earth a ways behind me. I looked ahead, spotting one furious armored fish in a dead sprint towards me.

"Ah shit." I blinked my wide eyes, spinning on my heel and beginning to sprint in the other direction.

* * *

"Yo, I'm... I'm gonna go home now." Monster Kid spoke hesitantly, avoiding Frisk's gaze as he turned around to walk away.

It had been hard for him, pushing away someone who seemed so kind and friendly. But, Monsters and Humans were supposed to hate one another, so they had to be enemies, right?

Monster Kid paused at the center of the bridge, his eyes going wide as he watched me bolt towards the duo, Undyne close behind.

"You aren't getting away!" Undyne shouted, pulling back one arm and making a spear of blue manifest in her hand before she chucked it at the back of my head.

I ducked without much thought, but my blood froze as I watched the spear crash right through the board Monster Kid was standing on and destroy it.

I paused there, body frozen as I watched a horrified Monster Kid drop right through the bridge, plummeting down below.

"Monster Kid!" I shouted out, before feeling a hand wrap around my wrist when I tried to dart forward, holding me in place.

"YOU!" Undyne snarled, cocking back her free hand. "What did you do?!"

"LET ME GO!" I snarled primally, spinning on my heel and cocking back one fist, both Frisk and Undyne's eyes going wide.

My knuckles smashed into Undyne's chest plate, denting it inwards and sending Undyne launching back off of me, through the air.

She landed flat on her ass, wincing and looking up to mewith one wide, infuriated eye. She wiped the stream of blood that ran down her chin away.

I didn't pay any attention to her, however, racing forward and diving through the hole in the bridge without a second thought.

"Monster Kid!" I cried out, spotting him plummeting below me. He was staring right up at me, fear on his face and tears flinging upwards from his eyes.

 _I'm not gonna reach him in time..!_ I thought, yanking back one hand. _I have to!_

I threw my hand down, and ink launched from my sleeve, racing down and wrapping around Monster Kid, who somehow looked more shocked then he had before.

I tugged my arm back, yanking Kid right back up to me, where I quickly grabbed him, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him close to my chest while I spun so that my back was facing the rapidly approaching ground.

Without a second thought, I let ink explode out from my back and tear through my shirt and sweatshirt. The ink formed a massive black balloon just before we hit the ground, and we slammed into it, pushing deep into it before it popped, dark liquid splattering all over the walls of the pit we'd dropped into.

"... Eugh..." I groaned after we hit the ground, my arms unwrapping from Monster Kid. He rolled off of me, groaning as well.

"Are you okay..?" I managed to ask, not even opening my eyes as I laid there.

"Y-yeah... I think so..." Monster Kid nodded, slowly sitting up and blinking his eyes, coming down from the rush of adrenaline that had just blasted through his veins.

Slowly, he glanced around at the ink stained walls, confusion beginning to overtake his expression. "... What the..?"

I reached up, groaning and running a hand down my face. "Okay, that's... That's good..."

"You... You used magic..?"

Ah fuck.

"But, you're a human, aren't you?" Monster Kid looked over to me, but I just continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Yeah, somethin' like that." I answered, blinking with exhaustion.

I grunted as I sat up, before I climbed to my feet and glanced around at the ink splattered along the room. Upon looking down at Monster Kid and myself, it was clear that we'd been drenched in it as well.

And Monster Kid watched in awe as I lifted my left arm into the air, and the ink on us and along the walls spiraled into the air, twisting like a tornado down into my open palm and swirling down my sleeve.

Monster Kid looked from the ink to my back then, his jaw dropping at the Deltarune engraved in my flesh, which was clear to see after I'd destroyed my shirt saving us from the fall.

All of the ink slipped orderly down my arm, swirling in a perfect pattern into the rune that marked me as The Angel for several moments, until all of the ink had disappeared, and I looked over my shoulder at Monster Kid. I smiled a little at the awe in his eyes and his dropped jaw.

"... What?"

"Yo, you're... You're him..." Monster Kid spoke, his lips slowly curving upwards. "You're the... T-t-the..."

I put one finger over my lips, kneeling down to be at eye level with Kid.

"That's uh, what some people call me, yeah." I grinned sheepishly. "But it's kind of a secret, alright?"

"O-oh! Right!" Monster Kid nodded quickly. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me!"

"Thanks, Monster Kid." I smiled, standing and extending a hand for him to take so that I could help him up.

"... Uhh..." Monster Kid looked to my hand, before laughing and looking up at me, wiggling his armless upper body. "Cter?"

"O-oh!" My face went red with embarrassment, but Monster Kid's laughter proved infectious when I began laughing as well. "Whoops!"

"I got it, don't worry." Monster Kid continued to laugh lightly while he pushed himself to his feet with his tail.

"Yo, uhh..." Monster kid looked up to the bridge high above. "How do we get outta here?"

"Hmm..." I stroked my imaginary beard, considering what I could do to safely get us up there with my powers.

"I mean, if we wait a few years I'll grow wings to fly us up there." MK joked, but was startled when my wonder filled eyes darted over to him.

"... You grow wings..?" I asked quietly, not moving an inch and continuing to stare at him.

"Well uh... Yeah." Monster Kid cocked a brow at me like it was obvious. "I'm a dragon, so..?"

"You're a dragon?!" My eye lit right up as I grabbed MK by the shoulder, making him laugh.

"Duh!" Kid nodded, smiling. "What'd you think I was?"

"I dunno!" I spoke honestly. "Some, adorable little... Dino kid! I certainly didn't think you were a freakin' dragon!"

"I mean, it's gonna be a few more decades before I'm fully grown, but yeah!" Monster Kid grinned happily. "I should have wings in another two or three years."

"Maaan!" I let go of Monster Kid, shaking my head. "That's so cool... I always wanted wings..."

"Seriously?" Monster Kid tilted his head to the side. "You really wanna fly that bad?"

 _"Huh? Why flight?"_

 _"So I can fly anywhere in the whole world, duh. If I could fly, I could get outta this crummy city."_

 _"Anywhere in the whole world, huh..?"_

I blinked, face scrunching and air catching in my lungs, momentarily choked by that sudden memory, before I shook my head and blinked my eyes to remove the image of that smog clouded sky from them.

"Oh, I've just always thought it was really cool, ever since I was a little kid." I shrugged, lying quickly as I continued to push those memories into the bottle they'd leaked out of.

"Well, that... Doesn't really answer my question?" Confusion formed on Monster Kid's expression. "I mean, it kinda does, but, yo, you said it weird..?"

"Oh!" I jolted, gulping some as I scratched the back of my head, grinning nervously. "I-I'm sorry, what was your question again?"

*You've been thinking about him a lot lately.

Yes, _thank you_ , text box. Wasn't aware of the fact that one of my biggest regrets keeps creeping up on me. Appreciate the insight.

Eventually, I summoned a giant pencil on the ground, which stuck eraser up. MK and I stepped onto it, and it lifted us up to the bridge like an elevator.

"Whoa..." Monster Kid grinned at me while we hopped off the eraser and back onto the ground. "How many different things can you make?"

"Tell ya what." I put a hand on MK's back, smiling. "Sometime soon I'll show you all of 'em, okay?"

"Man..." Monster Kid frowned impatiently. "Why not right now?"

This made me chuckle as I began stepping back away from him and back towards the bridge I had to cross. "Unfortunately, I gotta catch up with Frisk and Make sure Undyne doesn't clobber them into next week."

"Oh, yeah!" MK perked up, before frowning. "... Ah, man, she's probably really worried about me..."

"Yeah, she probably-... Wait." My eyes suddenly went wide, and I looked over to Monster Kid.

"Kid! I just got an idea that's gonna fix everyone's problem!"

* * *

"Undyne, please..!" Frisk choked, grabbing Undyne's wrist as she held them up by the collar of their shirt. "I'm sure Kid is-!"

"Shut up!" Undyne snapped, pulling back the spear she held in her free hand. "If it wasn't for you and your stupid friend, I could have saved him! If it wasn't for you two, he never would have been in danger in the first place!"

"Undyne! Hold up!"

Undyne snarled, glaring over her shoulder in the direction of the voice, before her single eye went wide, and the fury disappeared from her expression.

"He's right here!" I held Monster Kid by the waist up over my head, presenting him like Simba to Undyne. It was clear I'd hit a save point somewhere along the way, because my clothes were fixed. "I saved him, he's okay!"

"Yo, dude, you are way stronger than you look." Monster Kid muttered over his shoulder at me.

"Yeah well you're a lot lighter than you look." I whispered right back to him.

"... W-what..?" Undyne said quietly, the spear fading away from her grasp before she dropped Frisk on their butt, Frisk letting out an "Oof!" as they landed.

"He's my friend and... He's important to me." I spoke honestly, Frisk looking up with raised eyebrows at the emotion in my voice as I slowly set Monster Kid down. "I didn't want him to get hurt, and... I don't want you to get hurt either."

"I... I want everyone to be okay." I glanced down at the ground as Undyne slowly walked closer. "I, know I'm a human, but does that really mean I have to be an enemy..?"

"..." Undyne stared wordlessly down at Monster Kid, who looked away shamefully.

"Yo, Undyne, I'm... I'm really sorry." He shrunk into his shirt some. "I, should have went home when you told me to. I-if I had, none of this would have-"

Kid's eyes went wide as Undyne knelt down suddenly, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"... I'm just happy you're safe..." Undyne spoke softly, closing her eye tight, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

Monster Kid's mouth slowly curved upwards, and stars had appeared in his eyes as his hero was, in fact, hugging him.

A few moments went by, before Undyne stood, took a deep breath to compose herself, and looked to me.

"... Thank you." She spoke solemnly, and I smiled with some relief. "I think it's... Pretty clear that I misjudged you and your friend, and... I'm sorry."

It was clear that Undyne had a lot of trouble saying that, and I knew how hard it was to be honest and apologize when you're wrong. So, I reached up with one hand, offering a hand shake.

"It's alright, we get it a lot." I joked, and Undyne smiled a little as she took my hand. "I'm Cter, by the way. And my friend over there is Frisk."

"I'm Undyne." She introduced, smirking lightly. "And as Captain of The Royal Guard, I'm calling off the Guard's hunt for you two."

"Really?!" Monster Kid said, eyes lighting up as he looked over at Undyne, who grinned one toothy grin down at him. "You mean it?"

"A'course I mean it!" Undyne exclaimed. "Anyone hardcore enough to chuck themselves off a bridge to save somebody is fine by me!"

"We'll just wait for another human to drop down here, one that isn't as cool as you two." Undyne grinned as she let go of my hand. "Then we'll take their soul instead!"

"Thanks, Undyne. We appreciate it." I smiled, Frisk nodding as they stepped into the conversation.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Frisk laughed nervously, reaching up and scratching the back of their head.

"Sorry about almost poppin' you like a zit, punk." Undyne laughed, placing one hand atop Frisk's head and ruffling their hair, making them smile.

"It's alright, I'm a tough cookie!" Frisk proceeded to flex, making Undyne chuckle.

"You got that right." She agreed, before looking down to Monster Kid. "Alright, Kid. What do you say I walk you home?"

"T-that would be so cool!" Monster Kid's eyes lit up again, before Undyne laughed and picked him up, setting him on her shoulders.

"Then lets go!" Undyne smiled up at him, beginning to jog in place.

"Wait, Monster Kid!" I interjected, and MK looked down at me with confusion.

"Here." I reached up, sticking a piece of paper into his shirt pocket. "It's my number. For if you're ever falling into a pit again.

"Oh, thanks!" Monster Kid grinned at my joke, before confusion overtook his expression. "But... Wait, when did you have the time to-"

I cut him off with the click of my tongue, winking an eye shut and pointing a finger gun up at him. Pitch black ink dripped gently from my finger, making MK's eyes go wide.

"... Whoa, that's so cool..." He whispered, stars in his eyes.

"Alright, you ready to get a move on, punk?" Undyne grinned up at MK, who nodded.

"Heck yeah! See you guys later!"

And with that, Undyne was off, running at shocking speeds into the distance.

"... Huh." I smiled a little as I watched the two disappear from sight.

That felt... Nice. Genuine.

"... You did a really good job there." Frisk caught my attention, smiling over at me.

"Huh?" I looked over to them, eyes widening some. "I, did?"

"Mhm!" Frisk nodded quickly. "You managed to make Monster Kid and Undyne happy, along with save the both of us. It was really incredible!"

"... Huh." I looked down and nodded a few times, thoughtfully. Then, I looked up, glancing in the direction that MK and Undyne had went.

 _Weird._

* * *

We walked on into Hotland and met with Alphys in her lab. Luckily, she confessed that when Frisk and I had split up in Waterfall, she'd watched Frisk in favor of me, meaning she had not seen Chara. I was glad I could keep that particular secret away from Frisk. It was likely they wouldn't be too pleased with the thought of me being buddy buddy with the person who had imprisoned them in their own body.

But, moral grey areas aside, we went on with Alphys' introduction and Mettaton's game show. Really, Hotland wasn't anything spectacular or anything out of the ordinary. Just the same stuff that happens in the game, but with me watching Frisk take care of it.

That was, until we got to Sans' hotdog stand.

There was uh, certainly an air of awkwardness. Frisk stacking thirty hot dogs on their head was a nice distraction, but I gotta say, I was still pretty pissed off at Sans. And judging from the way he was avoiding looking at me, I had to guess that he knew that.

But, when Frisk was busy posing for a picture with one of the volcans that was passing by, those hotdogs still on their head, and I was just standing next to Sans' booth, watching them and trying to ignore the short skeleton, he finally spoke up.

"... Hey, uh... Sorry."

My eyes darted over to look at him from the corner of my eye, but I didn't say a word.

"I uh, I flew off the handle and said some things that weren't true." Sans reached up, scratching the back of his skull.

"Like the part where you basically admitted to using me as a lab rat just to save your ass?" I squinted coldly at him.

"... No, uh..." Sans' dot pupils darted to the side. "That part was true."

"Mhm." I frowned, looking ahead. "Thought so."

"... Look, I'm not trying to defend my actions." Sans closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, though he did not have lungs. "I misjudged you."

"What tipped ya off?" I turned my head to Sans, coking a brow, frown not fading from my expression.

"... Gaster told me what you did." Sans opened his eyes, looking over to me. "The deal with Chara, I mean."

"The one where I'm giving up everything for you guys and not to further any of my own goals, like what you accused me of?" I tilted my head to the side, and Sans once again looked away, a certain measure of 'yikes' reading in his expression.

"... Y'aren't makin' this easy, kiddo." He confessed, sweating nervously.

"No, Sans, you wanna talk not easy?" I turned around, looking back at the short skeleton. "Imagine being a bad person. Imagine not being happy and not liking yourself because you are a bad person."

"Then, imagine trying to change." I held my hands out in front of myself, widening my eyes some. "Imagine that you try to do everything right, try to help everyone no matter what you have to go through, just so that _maybe_ you can start to like yourself and feel better."

"And then, while you've got the option to go back to being a bad person and it's lookin' real enticing, and being a good person isn't making you feel any better, someone you helped a whole lot and who you respect has the nuts to look you in the eye, hack up a loogie, spit it in your face, and call _you_ the asshole." I squinted, leaning over and resting one elbow on the table as I glared into Sans' eyes.

"You're lucky I made that deal, Sans." I spoke honestly, expression remaining cold. "I didn't just go off half cocked and make a deal with the devil because you made me feel like shit."

"It ensures that, no matter what person I decide to be, you guys will be safe." I leaned back away from Sans, getting out of his face. "So I can always say I did at least _one_ thing right."

I crossed my arms, looking to the side. "... Whether or not you guys deserved it or not, is another story."

"... Cter, you've gotta call off that deal." Sans confessed, and I narrowed my eyes down at him.

"Can't do that, Sans." I told him, shoving my hands in my pockets. "I'm a man'a my word."

*That's debatable.

"Kid this is bigger than your word." Sans leaned forward in his booth. "This is your life we're talking about."

"You didn't give a damn about my life before." I responded with a deadpan stare. "Why's it matter now? Because I won't get to come back?"

"..." Sans went quiet, closing his tired sockets before reopening them and looking back up at me.

"Look, I... I know I haven't been the nicest to you." He spoke honestly. "I shouldn't be the one telling you not to disappear. Because I'm not the one who's gonna miss you. 'Least, not as much as some other people."

"..." My eyes glossed to the side, and I silently considered Sans words.

"I understand why you might wanna leave this all behind. I haven't done a good job of helping you see a future here. And it's... Real easy to want to disappear when you don't see a future for yourself." Sans' eyes were locked onto me, as if to confirm the emotion in his words.

"But there _is_ a home for you here, Cter." He spoke genuinely. "And there would be people you'd be leaving behind that would really miss you."

"..." My expression softened with thought, eyes drifting to the floor.

"Just... Give it some thought." Sans looked up at me. "That's all I'm askin'."

I began to open my mouth to speak, when the sound of Frisk shouting "Oh no!" hit my ears, followed by the sound of many hot dogs hitting the ground and bouncing in many different directions.

I turned around, snerking as I saw Frisk now sitting on the ground after presumably tripping, laughing wholeheartedly with their volcan friend at the silliness of their situation.

"... Heh." I smiled, walking over to Frisk and offering a hand to help them up to their feet. "You ready to get a move on?"

"Mhm." Frisk grinned up at me, taking my hand.

I pulled them to their feet, and we made our way forward. I sent a passing glance unconsciously back at Sans' post.

He was gone.

* * *

I would explain what happened throughout Hotland and into the CORE, but truthfully I wasn't paying much attention. I just went through the motions, my thoughts preoccupied by my quite likely impending doom.

The only thing that had really stuck out to me was the ACT box full of *Flirt options when Muffet trapped us in her web, but I had to put that on the back burner because there was already enough chaos in my life without the possibility of attraction to a semi-sadistic spider girl.

 _"Is the scythe really necessary?"_

 _"How else am I gonna slice these hoez?"_

 _"Do you think I'm pretty?"_

 _" **Drop dead** gorgeous." _

_"If you decide to visit, I'll just have to wrap you up in my web and play with you again, ahuhuhuhu~!"_

 _"I mean... That wouldn't be the worst thing-"_

... I _might_ have a type.

Ahem.

Of course, the two options I had were pressing. At first it was easier, the two paths were clear cut. Either die or kill. It was really a lot like the battle in that timeloop that had come to define my life.

But, with Chara's last minute change, there was a future unknown. And I guess that was scary. The unknown future had always been scary to me.

And I did some things that I'm admittedly... Not too proud of in the past to make the future more assured.

... All to get sucked into a video game and make all that dirty work null and void.

Funny how that works. In a boo hoo funny kinda way.

Not that I would ever want to return to my old life. The ceiling is so much higher here, no matter what person I would decide to be.

The uh... The only question was, what kind of person I wanted to be.

And when you've switched lives three times, from Angel to Hacker to Cter, it starts to get difficult to decide what kind of person you _should_ be.

I mean, I've picked wrong twice now, so... Can I really afford to screw it up a third time?

"Are you ready?"

That was a very good question. Was I ready?

"... Cter?"

But how could anyone ever truly be ready? In reality, what is preparation in a chaotic world such as this? One could say that my life was the perfect example that literally anything can happen, so to say-

"Cter!"

"Ah!" I jumped, looking over to Frisk, who was giggling. An embarrassed red dusted my cheeks, and I glared over at them. "W-what?!"

"Are you ready to fight Mettaton?" Frisk asked, and my eyes widened, before I slowly glanced around our surroundings.

"... Oh my god are we already at Mettaton?" I blinked with confusion, and Frisk gave me a look like I was an idiot.

"... Yes!" They threw their arms into the air. "We've been walking and befriending monsters for like three hours!"

"Jesus." I shook my head. "Guess I zoned out, there."

"... For three hours?"

"Lets get a' goin'!" I waved one finger over my head while ignoring Frisk's question, walking right into Mettaton's stage area.

"H-hey! Wait up!" Frisk raced after me.

The door slammed behind us, and Mettaton explained Alphys' web of lies like Frisk and I didn't already know.

"Real drama! Real action! Real bloodshed!" Mettaton laughed maniacally, screen flashing between yellow and red while he held his arms out to his sides.

Frisk and I stumbled, the floor launching up high into the air, wind rushing by my ears and making my eyes narrow at the robot before us.

"On our new show! Attack Of The Killer Robot!"

My soul appeared on my chest, and so did Frisk's as we raced higher and higher up through the CORE.

"Listen darlings, I've seen you fight. You're both weak." Mettaton confessed, speaking into the microphone in his hand and making his voice boom from the speakers that surrounded us.

"If you continue forward, Asgore will take your souls, which he will use to destroy humanity." Mettaton threw one arm out to the side, mechanical boxes firing from the walls at Frisk and I.

"But if I get your souls," Frisk and I stood back to back, blasting away the boxes with our now yellow souls, which floated at the end of our palms. "I can stop Asgore's plan and save humanity!"

Mettaton continued talking about his dreams of performing before millions of humans while we dodged around bombs, boxes, and punches, until Frisk's phone began to ring, and they pulled it from their pocket, answering the call from Alphys.

Alphys confessed the secret of Mettaton's back switch, and I narrowed my eyes up at the rapidly approaching lights above as our stage before I looked to Frisk with DETERMINATION in my eyes.

"Ill distract Mettaton, you flip the switch!" I ordered, and Frisk nodded quickly.

"Are we colluding over there?" Mettaton's voice rang, and Frisk and I both jumped back as an explosion blasted from the bomb that landed between us, throwing dust up and shielding the both of us from view.

"Hey, you not so hunky hunk'a metal!" I shouted as I burst from the left of the smoke plume of smoke, Mettaton immediately turning to look at me. "I would never smooch a ghost!"

Mettaton snarled with rage at that, cocking back one fist and throwing it forward, his arm rapidly stretching out and racing to me, only for me to duck under it and jump to the side.

As Mettaton turned to continue his assault on me, he didn't notice Frisk racing from the other side of the smoke, sprinting towards his turned back.

"Oh I'm gonna get you, you little-!"

 _Click!_

". . ." Mettaton went silent, body stiffening. "... Did you. Just flip. My switch?"

Mettaton's screen flashed rapidly then, and Frisk rushed away from him, the two of us regrouping at center stage.

Our stage made it's way to the top of the CORE, where it came to a stop in an even larger stage. Stage lights all fell on the fog that covered Mettaton, and I looked out over the crowd of Monsters that surrounded us on Mettaton's big stage, who were all silent with anticipation.

Suddenly, a single, slow guitar riff played through the speakers, and Frisk and I looked ahead with narrowed eyes.

"Ohhh yes..."

* * *

"No freakin' way." Undyne leaned forward on her couch, lips curving up in an amused smile.

On her TV was the feed of Cter and Frisk standing on Mettaton's stage, smoke covering the other half of the stage.

"Kick his ass, punks!"

* * *

"Sans Sans Sans!" Papyrus called out, wonder filled eyes focused on the TV, which displayed Cter rapidly writing an essay for Mettaton. "Get in here!"

"Wassup, bro?" Sans casually walked into their living room from the kitchen, bottle of ketchup in hand.

"The humans!" Papyrus grinned over to Sans while he pointed at the TV. "They're on TV!"

"Huh." Sans grinned, walking into the room and looking to the television. "Well howzabout that."

* * *

"Yo, no way!" Monster Kid exclaimed, rushing into the living room before tripping, stumbling and falling face first onto the carpet.

"Uh... You okay?" His sister, who had no spikes and instead wore a bow on her head, asked.

"Suzy!" Monster Kid was completely unphased by his fall, lifting his head to look to their television, which he pointed to with his tail.

The TV displayed Frisk and Cter rapidly dodging around searing strobe lights.

"I know those guys!"

* * *

Chara crossed their arms, smirking lightly as they looked in through a tear in the very air before them, watching Cter and Frisk dodge around explosions, before posing with a perfect amount of drama at the center of the smoke, the crowd roaring with approval.

"... Hm." Chara's lips curved upwards a little further with amusement.

* * *

"AHHH!" Frisk shouted as they sprinted across the stage, bombs exploding one after the other just behind them as they raced towards me.

"Throw me your stick and jump! I've got an idea!" I shouted over the blaring song _Death By Glamour_.

Frisk quickly reached back, summoning their stick from their inventory and whipping it across the stage to me before they dove into the air, plummeting down towards me.

I opened my jaws, catching the stick between my teeth before spinning, reaching up with both arms and catching Frisk in a position that could only be described as 'Draw me like one of your French girls' over my head, winking right into the camera.

The crowd exploded with cheers, and one stunned Mettaton EX looked over his shoulder, watching the ratings board skyrocket.

"Impressive!" He looked back to us, clenching one hand into a fist. "But I can do better!"

Just then, his chest opened, and his soul floated up into the air. It crackled with electricity, before bolts of lightning began firing down from it, and I tossed up Frisk before cartwheeling out of the way of a blast, Frisk landing on their feet after the lightning had passed.

Just after I stopped my cartwheel, Mettaton launched forward at me, cocking back one leg and swinging it at my head, only for me to duck under it and pop back up behind Mettaton, who instantly turned around and cocking back one leg, sending multiple jabs at me with his leg, each one I managed to duck, dodge, or side step, continuously stepping back slowly across the stage while the ratings continued to rise.

I kept Mettaton consistently distracted while Frisk dodged bolts of lightning and blasted his soul, until he cocked back a fist instead of a kick to hit me with, only for him to jolt with sudden pain, that arm falling from its metallic socket and clunking to the ground.

"Guh..!" Mettaton jumped back away, grinding his teeth while his soul floated back into his chest. "Who needs arms... With legs like these?"

"Anyone who wants to write something?" I shrugged, a little +25 comedy appearing on the ratings board, just before Mettaton angrily lunged forward and slammed one knee into my jaw, launching me back across the stage while a +200 violence appeared on the board.

I landed on my back, groaning as I slid to a stop, before opening my eyes as my head slid off the stage. I was looking right into a random monster's eyes, and they looked absolutely star struck.

"Dem legs, amirite?" I shrugged, grinning as the monster giggled. The next instant, however, I felt a mechanical hand wrap around my ankle, and with a shout of surprise I was yanked back up into the air, being dragged back towards Mettaton on his extendo arm.

He turned, whipping his arm and sending me launching down at Frisk, who was quick to dive into the air, jumping over me and grabbing me by the wrists. we spun in air, before they two let me go, sending me launching down towards Mettaton while a +1000 skill and +1000 acrobatics appeared on the screen.

I let out a war cry as I fired down at Mettaton, leading with one leg and slamming foot first into his glass chest piece and sending cracks exploding through it.

I darted by, landing on my feet and skidding, spinning to face Mettaton as his chest case shattered to pieces and throwing one arm forward, taking aim on him with my yellow soul and rapid firing into his soul, making him grunt and yelp with pain as he stumbled back, his other arm dropping to the ground.

Frisk ran up next to me, and we both blasted Mettaton's soul, stepping forward as he stepped back until his back hit a wall and his legs detached, his body dropping to the ground as Frisk and I stopped firing, standing over him victoriously.

"Oh my!" Mettaton said, not seeming at all phased by his dilapidated body, eyes darting to the ratings board. "Look at those ratings! This is the most viewers I've ever had!"

Frisk and I watched as Mettaton began accepting calls. He nearly teared up at the affection of his fans, and as the crowd grew silent, Mettaton gave his emotion filled thanks, but I still didn't pay much attention. I couldn't, I could only think about what was ahead.

Asgore... Flowey and Asriel... Error and Chara...

Each passing second brought me closer to the moment of my decision.

And, Chara was right. I still didn't have an answer. I still couldn't make a decision.

"Knock 'em dead, darlings." Mettaton smiled confidently, before his hair shadowed his eyes. "And, everyone... Thank you."

"You've been a great audience!"

With that, the smaller stage that we'd entered on dropped back down through the floor, bringing us three back down into the CORE.

Frisk smiled happily over at me and, oddly enough... I managed to smile back.

* * *

"W-w-wait!"

Frisk and I paused as we stood before that elevator to the end, glancing back at Alphys with feigned confusion in our eyes.

"... I lied..." Alphys almost whispered, shame written all over her face. "To cross the barrier, you need more than just a human soul..."

Frisk's expression softened sadly, watching their friend struggle to get out the hard truth.

"... You need at least one human soul, and one monster soul..." Alphys looked down, shaking her head slowly.

"Only one of you can make it out of here, and in order to do it, you'll have to kill Asgore." Alphys steadied herself to say those words, her hands gripping desperately onto her sides as she attempted to hold herself together.

"... I'm sorry."

We watched Alphys walk solemnly away, before looking to one another and giving a DETERMINED nod.

We entered the elevator, and we made our way to New Home.

We didn't talk much. There were few words to explain these feelings, even knowing how everything would end. We didn't speak in the elevator, and we didn't speak as we made our way through the empty castle towards the King's home.

"... Cter." Frisk spoke as we entered Asgore's home, and I glanced over at them. "I'm, not sure if I ever properly thanked you."

"Oh, Frisk," I began to shake my head. "You don't have to-"

"No, I... I do." They said, the two of us walking towards the kitchen to grab the first key to open the way towards the stairs. "If it wasn't for you, I would... Everyone would..."

"... I know, Frisk." I said quietly, reaching out and grabbing the key from the counter in the kitchen. "It's really not a big deal."

"I know you aren't happy, Cter." Frisk stood behind me while I grabbed the key, and I winced at their words, gripping the counter. "I... I know you haven't _been_ happy."

"..." I turned around, walking past them and continuing silently to grab the next key.

"I know that you have mixed feelings about everything that happened with Chara." Frisk only hesitated for a moment when they said their name, as if a part of them was still afraid Chara would hear. Rightfully so, they probably _were_ listening. "And I know you had trouble adjusting to... Normal life, after all that."

"And, I know I can never pay you back for everything you've done." Frisk held their hands together in front of their chest while I walked to the end table in the hallway that held the other key.

"But... I just, hope that I'm your friend, even after everything I did." Frisk smiled gently at my back while I took the key. "And I hope you know that, even though you aren't from here, you have a place more than anyone in our happy ending, and that we would all love to have you there, with us."

I took the key from the table, my unresponsiveness making Frisk frown with worry while I pushed open the door to that old bedroom, two boxes laying on the floor between the two beds.

"I-I mean, just picture it!" Frisk smiled nervously while I knelt down, opening one of the boxes slowly. "All of us, u-up on the surface..! We could all... L-live together, with Toriel and Asgore!"

"..." I silently reached into the box, taking that heart shaped locket into my hand and looking at it with pained eyes.

"Just... G-getting to live a happy life, as... One big, happy family..." Frisk's hands began to shake with concern, their smile fading. "Isn't... Isn't that what we want..? After all of this..? For the fight to be over..?"

"..." I took a deep breath, hand clenching around the locket in my hand.

"... Chara is alive."

Frisk's eyes slowly widened, their breath catching in their lungs and their heart stopping in their chest. They could feel their blood freezing in their veins and their train of thought slamming to a halt in their brain.

"..." I stood, locket clenched in my fist as I slowly walked by Frisk, hair shadowing my eyes. "... I hope we can still be friends."

I was halfway down the staircase when I heard Frisk's footsteps race to the top of the steps, and I looked over my shoulder to see them staring down at me, gripping the railing tightly as they panted, heart clearly racing.

"What do you _mean_ Chara is alive?!" Frisk demanded to know, and I shrugged apathetically.

"After our battle and the RESET, they found the DETERMINATION to resurrect their old body. They still want something from this world, Frisk." My eyes narrowed painfully, and I avoided their gaze. "... Me. They want me."

"What..?" Frisk asked, concern in their eyes as they walked down a few steps to get closer.

"They want my life." I explained, blinking cold emerald eyes. "Whether that means I join them or they kill me, they don't care."

"W-well that's not gonna happen!" Frisk exclaimed, making their way further down the steps and closer to me.

"... Yeah." I glanced to the side, dodging contact with their eyes. "About that."

"..." Frisk's eyes widened as they reached the step on which I stood, their mouth hanging open as their brain attempted to find the words.

"Cter... You, you didn't..."

"Had to." I turned my back on Frisk, walking down the steps and making it to the floor. "Was the only way to save everybody."

"What are you talking about?!" Frisk raced down to catch up with me.

"Error." Another vile name. "I needed Chara's help. It's the only way I knew we'd have any chance'a beatin' that guy without more casualties than we'd like."

"What did you promise them?!" Frisk caught up with me, looking over to me. "Your soul?!"

"My future." I answered calmly, keeping my eyes forward. I walked slouched, with my hands in my pockets.

"What do you mean _your future_?" Frisk continued to interrogate as we walked.

"... When Error shows up, Chara and I are gonna kill him." I explained blankly. "After that, I have a choice to make."

"Either join Chara and leave with them forever, or fight them one last time. For keeps."

"..." Frisk couldn't seem to find the words, just looking to the ground and slowly shaking their head.

"I'm sorry, Frisk." I paused as we made our way to the walkway that over looked the city below, turning to stare at the hundreds of Monsters below, innocent and unaware.

"... But I can't join you in that happy ending."

"Y-you're talking like you have to do this!" Frisk said desperately. "You don't have to-"

"If I don't give Chara what they want, then all of you are in danger." I stepped closer to the edge, frowning some. "I'm not gonna let that happen."

"B-... But..."

At the sound of a sniffle, I looked over my shoulder, and my eyebrows raised with surprise.

Frisk reached up, wiping a stream of tears from their cheek, only for it to immediately be replaced.

"Y-you're my friend..." The sobbed, looking down. "I-I don't want you to die!"

"... Heh..." My lips curved up some, and I turned around to face them. "... Thank you, Frisk."

My eyes widened as I managed to catch them after they lunged forward, wrapping their arms around me in a tight hug and sobbing into my shoulder.

". . ." I just stared off while I held them, eyes narrowing thoughtfully at the ground.

 _"... Angel... Am I a bad person..?"_

 _"What..? Where's this comin' from, Lex..?"_

* * *

*A strange light fills the room. Twilight is shining through the barrier. It seems your journey is finally over. You're filled with DETERMINATION.

"Humans... It was nice to meet the both of you." Asgore smiled sorrowfully, the six human souls rising from the floor around us.

He threw his arm out to the side, opening his cape and revealing his trident, which he gripped tightly as he lowered his head, shadowing his eyes.

"Goodbye."

 _Shatter._

Everyone's eyes darted to the cylinders holding the human souls at once, watching vines drag them to the little yellow flower that sat at the entrance of the room, grinning wickedly.

"Lets cut to the chase, shall we idiots?!" Flowey began to grow, vines shifting and forming under him, lifting him over us.

My jaw clenched clenched as pointed vines aimed down at us, before shooting down and over our heads.

"G-guh!" Asgore's eyes went wide, blood dripping down his chin as three vines jutted through his chest.

"Asgore!" I looked over my shoulder at him, and Frisk rushed over, catching him as he fell, propping his head up in their hand.

"H-humans... It is up to you..." Dust flaked from Asgore's body as he looked to Frisk, and he began to lift one hand, a glow forming in his hand.

"Please... You must take my soul..." Asgore's soul formed in his hand, glowing faintly. The glow reflected in Frisk's wide eyes.

"And... Stop this... Beast..."

Frisk watched as Asgore disappeared to dust in their arms, before they looked to the soul that floated there, a DETERMINED gleam in their eye.

Teeth gritting, Frisk reached out, and closed their hand around Asgore's soul.

Flash.

* * *

"... Eugh..."

I gradually pushed myself off the ground, which was in black and white. As I slowly climbed to my feet and looked around the area, it seemed I was standing in some weird... Time frozen version of the barrier room.

I looked down to Frisk as they too pushed themself up off of their face, and found it a little odd that despite them also having taken in a monster soul, there was no Deltarune scorched into their back.

"Hey, you alright?" I asked as I knelt down, offering my hand to help them up, which they graciously took, smirking lightly and nodding.

"Alright, good." I pulled them to their feet, before looking up to the smug smiling flower on a giant screen that floated over us. "Because we've kinda got this... Thing to deal with."

"I really owe you two such a big thanks!" Flowey smiled happily. "Thanks to your incapacity to learn a lesson, I was able to put my plan into perfect motion!"

"Look flower, you've been helpful to me in the past, so I'm gonna give you one shot here." I shoved my hands into my pockets, stepping forward. "Give up and back down now."

*Cter is sparing you.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" As Flowey loosed an evil cackle, his entire grotesque body climbed into view from the shadows. He leaned over me, glaring directly down at me with a psychotic grin. My expression remained calm, bored even. "OR WHAT?!"

"..." Slowly, my lips dragged down in a deep frown, a certain hatred dropping into my eyes.

"It's gonna be one HELL of a crummy juncture."

"Your stupid catch phrases aren't gonna save you!" Flowey threw one arm up into the air over his screen head.

"NOW D-!... Ie?"

Flowey's arm caught on the down swing, and his eyes darted over to it with confusion, before they widened in horror.

Tendrils of ink had come down from the ceiling, wrapping tightly around Flowey's arm and restraining him there.

At the sound of my chuckle, his wide eyes darted back down to me, seeing that I'd lifted one hand, fingers prepared to snap.

"Did you really think I'd let you have the first move?" I tilted my head to the side, dead eyes piercing through Flowey before I snapped my fingers, Flowey looking up to the darkness around us with shocked eyes as it suddenly lit up with the shine of Beat Blaster after Beat Blaster.

 **"Get real."**

* * *

"Undertale?" Predator cocked a brow at Error, before giving him a nod. "Oh yeah, he played the crap outta that game. Never really got why, but then again I was always more of a physical activity kinda gal than a 'gamer gurl', as the neck beards call them."

"Did he ever edit or... Hack the games?" Error squinted his sockets, digits digging into the sides of his chair with anticipation.

"Oh yeah." Predator nodded with ease, crossing her arms. "He did every last thing with this game. 'Cept the uhh... What's it called? The one where ya kill everybody?"

"Whatever." Predator shrugged before Error could answer. "Became the only thing the guy talked about. Never told me why."

". . ." Error closed his sockets, and he smiled. He smiled one happy little smile, and then he calmly stood up. "Thanks for your time."

"What're ya gonna do, twitchy?" Predator tilted her head to the side, watching Error curiously.

"... It's been awhile." Back to Predator, Error's skeletal fists slowly clenched, and a portal opened up in front of him. "But I think, one last time..."

 **"I'm gonna bring Judgement."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	16. Chapter 16: Timing Is A Four Letter Word

**Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, Fixer140.85, 10burgers, bananahead1, Jack54311, Alrarora, JakeGetsFrisky, Zack Frost, Guest, Monkey D Chimera, Guest, and Allagenda-domsitzers-chan.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Your Best Nightmare_ began playing.

My feet moved quickly, and I stood with my hands in my pockets as I darted between the rapid fire vines that were blasting down towards me and sticking through the earth behind me, Flowey roaring his fury as he climbed forward out of the plume of smoke he'd been left in by my Beat Blasters.

When the vines began to surround me, my sweatshirt suddenly shifted violently, before ink fired out from my hood and sleeves, slashing viciously and tearing the lethal greenery to shreds.

"Frisk." I looked over my shoulder, and they drew their Worn Dagger, nodding and kneeling down.

"I don't care if you've still got your stupid magic!" Flowey shouted, fleshy maw snapping open and shining a white light from within the flower beast. "You still don't have a chance!"

An eraser formed under Frisk, just before launching into the air and flinging them upward at Flowey's screen while he sent a wave of searing heat exploding down towards me from his disgusting jaws. I was quick to throw up one arm, a wall of keys rapidly piecing itself together before me to guard from Flowey's unholy wrath.

Frisk yanked their blade back over their head as they plummeted down towards Flowey, letting out a battle cry while paper airplanes filled the sky behind them, racing down towards Flowey with them leading the charge.

Frisk landed on Flowey's screen, growling as they stabbed their blade against the glass. Bolts of electricity flew out around their blade, and they grit their teeth, pushing with all of their strength to break through that screen, even as lightning jumped just by their face, leaving a burn mark on their cheek.

Flowey stumbled and shook his head after stopping his energy beam, paper airplanes slashing across his enormous body and making him swing his giant arms in vain.

Frisk slid back and forth on that screen with his head shaking, grunting and gritting their teeth before he bucked his head upwards, and their grip came loose, sending them flinging into the air.

Flowey immediately yanked up one hand, swatting Frisk like a bug and sending them firing back over my head, exploding through the wall and hitting the ground. They rolled to a stop, limp and bleeding, on the flowers of the throne room.

"Gotcha!" Flowey cackled, closing his eyes to revel in his victory while he threw his head back. As he did, however, one giant space bar dropped from above, breaking over the back of his head and making him grunt, jolting with surprise.

"You gotta watch out for those." I chimed in, and Flowey snarled, looking to his side to spot me there, before another space bar dropped onto his head, making him cry out and clench his eyes shut again.

"Flowey I'm tryin' to help you here." I shook my head with disappointment, and Flowey snarled as he opened his eyes to shoot me a murderous glare before a third space bar broke over his head.

"C'mon man there's like zero nuance here." I tilted my head to the side, frowning tiredly.

I jumped to the side, however, when Flowey roared and swung his arm at me, the large chunk of plant sweeping across the ground right after me as I jumped backwards again and again to keep out of it's reach. That was until I landed at the entrance to the hole Flowey had used Frisk's body to make, stomping and sending a wave of pens launching from the earth, driving like pikes into Flowey's arm.

The wall of pens dragged across the ground with the force of Flowey's arm, tearing up the floor and building piles of shattered tile around them before they forced Flowey's arm to a stop, green blood spilling over them.

"You alive back there?" I looked over my shoulder to Frisk, who had climbed to their hands and knees, managing to lift one hand to give me a thumbs up.

"Good." I looked back to Flowey, who's screen flashed the word "WARNING" and displayed a light blue soul.

"We don't have time to slow down just yet."

 **Chapter 16: Timing Is A Four Letter Word**

 _"But no action is without consequence."_

* * *

From above, giant knives of plastic rained down, and I stood on the ground, two Beat Blasters at my sides and firing beams into the air, blasting approaching hunks of plastic away while two ink whips flung from my hood, grabbing knives and throwing them to the sides to keep them from reaching us.

My eyes locked onto the large ACT box that was dropping from the sky with the knives before I quickly looked back to Frisk, who was still struggling to get to a knee.

 _Wonder Gopher's down._ I thought, before looking back up to the act box and clenching a hand into a fist. _Time for the Fearless Sniper to save the day._

I bent at the knees, before launching forward in a dead sprint across the ground towards the plummeting ACT box.

I jumped to the side, evading a knife that exploded into the earth and continuing to race ahead. As another knife raced down towards me, ink fired up from my hood, slicing the knife into two halves, which crashed to the earth at my sides, sending a cloud of dust blasting up around me.

the dust exploded open with me, however, when I dove from it and high into the air, launching myself right at the slow dropping ACT button.

I yanked back one hand, and threw it forward, slapping it against the button.

*You called out for help.

...

I landed on the ground, watching as the knives that once dropped towards me froze in air, trembling before, with a flash, they shifted to giant glowing green ethereal band-aids, which gravitated towards Frisk and I.

Slowly and skeptically, I reached out towards one of the bandages. It's green light reflected in my green eyes, before my finger tips reached it, and it's form dissipated, green energy seeping into my skin.

When I looked to the throne room, I found Frisk standing as well, giving me a much more confident thumbs up.

I smiled and returned it, just before one large hand shaped shadow dropped over me.

I dropped down to one knee and put both hands on the ground as Flowey's hand flew down to smash me, four pens firing up around me and piercing through his palm, stopping it in its tracks.

I lunged forward, escaping just before my pens shattered under the force of Flowey's assault, his hand making the earth tremble from the power it struck the floor with.

I spun around to face Flowey while I launched back towards Frisk, glaring at the volley of vines that blasted out towards me.

Ink fired swiftly from me once more, jutting from my hood and down my sleeves to rapidly slash away the onslaught.

 **Load File 3**

Suddenly, I was stumbling, having been jumped back mere seconds in time.

 _What in the-!_

My eyes darted to the vine that blasted through my left shoulder, jaw clenching with sudden pain as crimson splattered across the floor.

Frisk jumped over me then, slashing through the vine that pierced my flesh without hesitation before grasping it in their free hand. The vine rapidly receded back towards Flowey, and it yanked Frisk right along with it.

I dropped back onto my butt, gripping my gaping shoulder wound while cold sweat formed on my forehead, chest moving up and down faster with labored breathing.

Frisk flew up until the vines whipped upwards to slip into Flowey's core, where they let go, launching themself high into the air.

"Again with this!" Flowey laughed, leaning his body back and pointing that gigantic maw up at Frisk while they plummeted closer. A light shinned from within the beast once more, washing over them.

Flowey's six eyes widened, however, when four mechanical pencils appeared at Frisk's sides, each aiming down with chilling precision.

THUNK.

"AAAGH!" Flowey cried out as bolts of graphite were fired into his four giant eyes, the two on his screen clenching shut with agony. Green blood sprayed from the four punctured eyes, Flowey flailing and shutting his maw while he stumbled, reaching up to put one enormous claw over his punctured eyes.

Frisk dropped from above, a red slash following their blade as they dropped by Flowey's screen, carving down it and sending bolts of electricity firing from the scratch they left in it once more.

Frisk landed on the chunk of flesh that Flowey's maw protruded from, flicking their blade out to the side before looking over their shoulder, watching one large hand swat down towards them.

They were scooped up, however, under one large paper airplane, which swooped by just in time to fly them away from Flowey, who smacked himself in the face and sent himself stumbling back.

Frisk knelt down on the airplane, riding it back to where I stood holding my bleeding shoulder and hopping off next to me.

"So, when someone is stronger than you, is your first thought just to always go for the eyes?" They cocked a a brow at me, and I frowned.

"Has it not been effective?" I gestured with one bloody hand to the writhing Flowey, who had vines exploring his face and yanking the chunks of graphite from each of his eyes.

"Fair." Frisk shrugged, before we both looked ahead, jolted by the enraged scream that Flowey loosed.

"You worthless brats!" He exclaimed furiously, slamming both hands down to the earth and looking to us with slowly healing eyes. Eyes that suddenly gleamed, before firing white X-es through the air down at us.

I threw up my good hand, and a wall of keys appeared before Frisk and I, the X-es sticking into the keys and coming to a complete stop there.

After the sound of X-es thunking into the wall of keys ceased, disturbing laughter echoed quietly through the shadows.

"Uhh..?" I looked out into the darkness that surrounded us, before Frisk put a hand on my head and forced me to duck, and a cackling cactus snake with a mouth big enough to eat my entire head flung over, disappearing back into the shadows.

"What on God's good green Earth-" I looked in the direction the last one had went as I stood, before my eyes narrowed at more rapidly approaching laughter, and I spun around with a kick, smashing my foot into the side of another cactus snake's head, slamming it through the wall of keys before us.

I swiftly clenched my one useable fist, and the key wall closed around the snake, condensing until green blood splattered out through its cracks.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

I looked over my shoulder to find the first snake launching back at me, only for Frisk to dart towards it, sliding under it and stabbing their knife into it's underbelly, carving down the length of it's body and sending it splattering to the floor.

I spun around as a third shot from the darkness, and my teeth ground with pain while I gripped my blood-pouring shoulder, eyes locked onto the third snake.

Ink fired from under my firmly planted foot at the last second, piercing the abomination's skull and making it go limp.

"You alright?" Frisk asked with concern in their voice while I looked to my blood soaked right hand.

"I'm bleeding out." I responded bitterly, looking to them with a tired and pale face.

The sound of an alarm caught the both of our attentions, and we looked to see an orange soul flashing on Flowey's screen.

"This one's up to you." I added like it wasn't obvious, almost shivering from the cold that was settling over my body. I reeked like iron.

"I've got it, you just don't crushed to death." Frisk nodded to me, and I nodded back. Then, I paused with some confusion.

"Wait, crushed to de-"

The two of us jumped back then, one giant glove clenched into a fist smashing through the ground where we once were and sending shards of tile blasting up into the air.

I winced, eyes darted to my shoulder, which screamed in agony. There was clearly no time for that, however, when I looked up and spotted another fist flying straight down towards me.

I quickly dropped to one knee, an eraser firing up at an angle over my head and colliding head on with the fist. A shock wave burst out from the collision, but the glove went limp, falling like lifeless fabric down to the earth.

My eyes darted to my right at the hand opening to crush me, before I stamped my foot, pens firing from the earth and impaling the glove, tearing through the fabric with ease.

Frisk side stepped one giant punch, and jumped back out of range as the enormous fist cocked back and swung at them a second time.

They rolled to the side to evade a giant jab, slashing swiftly through the glove and tearing open the top of it, sending it tumbling to the ground.

They were quick to spin around, facing an oncoming fist and jumping over it, landing behind it and spinning around to face it.

The glove spun back around, opening its palm to grab them only for them to lunge forward, slashing an X through the fabric and launching through the glove.

Frisk looked to the sky, scanning it momentarily before spotting the ACT button that dropped slowly towards the ground.

Frisk darted forward, running low to the ground and jumping to the side to dodge every fist that raced towards them.

They jumped as one fist plummeted towards them, landing atop it and instantly lunging from it to another glove. They reached the hand, grabbing it's index finger and swinging around it twice before launching themself up feet first towards the ACT box.

Frisk cocked one leg back, jaw clenching before they reached the box, slamming a kick into it to press the button.

*You called out for help...

Frisk dropped back towards the ground, gulping at the distance they were dropping. In the nick of time, a now green glove opened itself, catching them and setting them gently to the ground.

I watched as glowing green gloves giving thumbs up closed in. When they touched me, they faded to green energy, seeping into my skin. After touching a few gloves, the hole in my shoulder had healed, and I no longer felt like I was on the verge of bleeding out and/or going into shock.

"Okay..." I looked to my no longer blood stained hand. "Better."

* * *

Gaster watched pensively, holding one fist over his mouth and the other behind his back.

He'd been concerned about this, Omega Flowey. It'd been Flowey who had pushed Cter to unlock more of that killer instinct back when he was fighting Frisk and Chara in the timeloop. It had been Flowey who'd prompted Cter to say that thing about ripping Frisk's arms off during their genocide run.

It had become clear without a doubt that Flowey made something violent awaken within Cter. And with the cards Cter currently had in his hands, that could be a very dangerous thing.

 _"Cter. Is at. A tipping point."_

Of course Gaster knew that. No one had been thinking of that more than Gaster. And as much potential as the good doctor saw in Cter, as much light and hope he truly believed the boy could bring...

 _"Anarchy needs an equal, and Badster's picking The Hacker."_

 _"We could be so much more than all this, Cter."_

... There were plenty of intelligent people who could see other things in Cter, and believed he could bring devastation. Ruin. Death.

And, Gaster hated thinking about it, but, if Cter so chose to play his cards in a certain way... They'd have all that and more.

* * *

Bangs echoed, Frisk and I jumping back into the time frozen Judgement Hall to evade the spray of over sized bullets that fired from that giant gun, a yellow soul clear on Flowey's screen.

Beat Blasters appeared over me and Frisk, one on their side and one on mine. Frisk darted forward, Beat Blasters blasting the bullets that were fired down towards them away before they reached them.

Frisk jumped into the air, cocked back one arm, and slapped their hand down onto the ACT box that floated under the gun.

*You called out for help...

The gun ceased movement then, and for a moment all was quiet. Then, the gun disappeared, and Frisk and I watched Flowey's screen go dark. _Your Best Nightmare_ faded out.

 _Finale_ began playing.

I walked up next to Frisk, and we watched in awe as the six souls phased out from Flowey's screen, slowly circling out towards us.

The souls surrounded Frisk and I, and their many vibrant colors reflected in our widened eyes while we watched outlines begin to form around them.

Around the light blue, a small child formed in the same color as the soul. It was hard to make out any defining features, but it was clear that atop her head she wore a ribbon and in her off hand she held a toy knife. She extended her hand, and from it, those healing green band-aids began to filter, gravitating towards us.

Around the orange, a young boy formed. Just like the girl, it was hard to define many features, but around his head was a bandanna, and he reached out with one gloved hand, those green thumbs up giving gloves forming and also gravitating towards Frisk and I.

Around the dark blue soul, a girl wearing a tutu formed. She looked older than the last two, and stood elegantly on ballet shoes. She extended one hand, and from her palm emerald musical notes came.

The purple soul formed as a shorter boy with a notebook under one arm, glasses the only defining feature on his face. He reached out to us, words like "HOPE" "PEACE" "HAPPINESS" and "LOVE" floating from his grasp towards us.

The green soul took the form of a very young girl, no older than eight. Her apron was much too big for her, and she wore a pan on her head like some kind of helmet. She extended one hand to us, and from it, green eggs formed, floating out to us.

The yellow soul formed a young man that I had to guess was around my age. He wore a cowboy hat that shadowed where his eyes would have been, and around his waist a revolver was holstered. He extended his open palm to us like his fellow fallen humans, and emerald clovers bloomed from his being, washing over us with the rest of the Soul's gifts.

A few moments passed like this, Frisk and I only watching in awe as our fellow humans gave us what little they had left, before the images of the Souls former selves disappeared, and their souls floated off and away.

I was at a rare loss for words, just staring out into the dark after watching the souls disappear.

 _Krrrchh!_

Frisk and I looked back to see Flowey's screen lighting back up, that strange almost human face shouted furiously on the screen and glitching back and forth on it.

*Flowey's defense drops to 0!

"Perfect!" I commented, shaking off my former shock and throwing back one arm, three enormous erasers forming from the earth behind Frisk and I before I threw my hand forward, sending all three of them exploding forward.

Flowey stumbled back as the erasers crashed into his body, and Frisk jumped up onto one of the large pencils that the eraser was connected to, racing up it towards Flowey like a bridge.

Flowey snarled, and vines blasted from his body down towards Frisk, who slashed rapidly with their dagger, slicing and dodging through the vines before they exploded out the other side, running low to the ground and diving from the edge of the pencil.

They landed right on Flowey's TV face, flipped that dagger around in their hand, and stabbed right down into Flowey's screen. Once more electricity blasted up around Frisk's knife, but they only ground their teeth, pushing more and more against the glass.

 _Crack!_

"Ah!" Flowey's strange and distorted voice cried out as Frisk's dagger stabbed through the glass, sending a spiderweb of cracks blasting out around the hole.

Frisk yanked their blade from Flowey before jumping back off of his head and onto the maw, just in time for the four Beat Blasters that loomed behind them to fire, flooring Flowey with beams of magic fury.

Flowey stumbled back, throwing up one giant hand to block the beams from his face. The blasts only seared his hand, however, turning green to a disgusting burnt black and brown in one chunk of the giant arm.

Frisk roughly gripped onto the fleshy maw on which they stood, growling and stabbing rapidly into it, all the while hanging on through Flowey's enraged flailing.

The laughter of those cactus snakes echoed, and I turned on my heel, cocking back one fist and slamming it directly into the skull of one. A burst of red energy fired out from the top of it's head, before it crumpled to the ground, limp.

I then threw both arms out to my sides, ink firing from my sleeves and wrapping around the necks of the two snakes racing towards me. I yanked them down face first into the ground by the ink I'd leashed them with, and I stomped, pens firing up and stabbing into their cores, making them go limp simultaneously.

Frisk's grip eventually tore off the hunk of skin they held on to, and Flowey once more bucked them into the air, snarling and cocking back one hand.

Ink suddenly fired up, forming an orb around Frisk. As Flowey swung down at the orb, spikes fired from it, slicing through Flowey's hand before he batted the ball back down towards me.

More spikes launched from the orb, stabbing into the floor and bringing it to a stop against the ground, where it slowly opened, Frisk tumbling out.

"Pleh!" Frisk spat a glob of ink to the side, placing a hand on the side of their head.

"Totally saved ya, didn't I?" I grinned over at them, and they scowled up at me.

We both looked back, however, at the sickly snap of a Venus Flytrap's jaws, watching a giant one open up just behind us. Knowing what that meant, we looked ahead, seeing a swarm of locusts racing from under Flowey's grotesque body towards us.

A row of mechanical pencils appeared behind Frisk and I, firing into the swarm as it approached before Frisk lunged into it, slashing bugs apart and sending yellow guts splattering along the floor.

Two spikes of ink fired up from my shoulder blades, curving downward and stabbing down through the bugs that raced past me, eager to meet their doom in the flytrap that stood behind us.

When the bugs died down, I wasted no time racing forward. I ran low to the ground, and Flowey's glare landed on me for a moment, before several dozen glows caught his eye.

"Damn it!" Flowey shouted with frustration, opening his freakish maw and firing a wave of searing energy into the dark, frying several Beat Blasters before the rest fired retaliation.

I jumped and dodged around the bombs that began dropping from above, flames and smoke blasting up around me while the most lethal laser light show in the history of laser light shows flashed over my head.

I threw up both arms, and ink fired from my sleeves, wrapping several times around Flowey's giant arms. I yanked myself forward with my ink ropes, leaning back low to the ground and quickly sliding under Flowey.

I shot out behind Flowey and spun around, skidding back on my feet and clenching my fists, more ink pouring from my sleeves and up the ropes of black that I'd already attached to Flowey.

"Hey, flower!"

Flowey growled, turning his box head to look over his shoulder at me, before his eyes widened at the ink that was pouring over him, wrapping over his arms and clutching onto him tightly.

"I've got an..!" I snarled, digging my feet into the ground while more ink fired like spikes from my back, stabbing into the ground to help hold me in place while I began to slowly drag my arms back towards myself and, by extension, Flowey's arms back towards me by the ink that held him. "Inquiry for ya!"

Flowey roared and shouted, desperately tugging on his arms while they were slowly but surely tugged back uncomfortably far. Giant pencil erasers fired from the earth and slammed into his back, holding him in place while I slowly pulled his arms backwards.

"On a scale'a..! One to ten..!" Sweat beaded down my forehead, and red began to mist from patches of skin on my face. My teeth ground together with relentless exertion.

"Gahhh!" Flowey cried out, eyes clenching shut tight from the pain rippling through his body. Above his head was a steadily dropping health bar.

"How attached are you..!" I snarled, yanking my arms ever closer to myself, the sick sounds of vines snapping resounding from Flowey's plant arms. "To these arms..?!"

"Gragh!" Flowey roared desperately, tugging back on his arms and making me slide forward some, before my footing caught on a key I summoned halfway out of the ground. "TEN!"

In Flowey's agony, he'd failed to notice Frisk flying up over him on a paper airplane.

I roared with a flair of strength and DETERMINATION, and I threw my entire upper body back while Frisk plummeted down towards Flowey, cocking back one fist.

One final rip echoed through the room, and my body jolted back as ink sent Flowey's arms tearing from his body and flinging back through the air, slamming against the Barrier and sending a ripple of force through the clear field of magic. "NOT ANYMORE!"

Flowey screeched with agony, eyes snapping open wide just in time to see Frisk inches from his screen, face clenched in a completely DETERMINED expression. On their chest, a red soul burned furiously, a white outline forming around it while they threw forward one red misting fist.

"N-no! Wait-!"

And I watched with wide eyes as Frisk blasted in through Flowey's screen and out through the back of his TV head, Flowey's original little flower self clenched in their outstretched fist.

Frisk slammed into the ground, rolling rapidly across the earth and clenching Flowey tight to their chest all the while. After a few moments of rolling, they skidded to a stop, and uncurled from the ball they were in, letting their Flowey holding arm drop to the ground, fist unclenching from around him.

I panted, throwing up one ink dripping arm to cover my eyes from the blast of dust that exploded out from Flowey's giant body falling limp to the ground.

As the dust cleared, I squinted to look through what remained of it, spotting Flowey now rooted in the ground just in front of where Frisk had dropped him, their outstretched hand still limp in front of him.

"Y-you..." Flowey managed to speak, withered petals drooping over his face as he lifted his head to glare over at me.

"... Me." I confirmed while I walked closer, sweat dripping down my face and ink from my limp arms.

"Why couldn't you just leave..?" Flowey asked hatefully while I approached, struggling to keep his head up. "You have... No place here..."

"..." I didn't speak. I just paused when I reached him, standing over him and staring down at his pathetic and beaten form.

"If it... Wasn't for you and your... _Stupid_ powers, I would have won..." Flowey clenched his teeth, glaring up at me defiantly.

"You're wrong." I finally responded, and he recoiled some. "No matter how this goes down, who you're up against, you lose."

"..." Flowey growled weakly, before just letting his head drop pathetically. "... So what now..?"

Two options appeared before me.

FIGHT

MERCY

"..." Slowly, ink formed up from my lower back, curling down over my head like a scorpion's stinger. One that pointed right down at the false idol that I'd made kneel before me. "Now."

"... Cter, wait..."

I glanced over at Frisk, who lay to my side, weak and tired. They looked up to me with one half open eye, a certain pleading gleam in their exhausted pupils.

"Don't... Kill Flowey..."

"What..?" Flowey lifted his head to look over at Frisk. He scoffed, "What are you, an idiot..?"

"... Yeah, alright." I closed my eyes after a moment of thought, and the ink stinger receded back into my lower back.

"Wait, what?" Flowey looked up to me, clearly bewildered. "Not you too with this crap, Cter."

MERCY.

"You've gotta be joking..." Flowey shook his head slowly. "Do you really think I've learned something from this? No."

MERCY.

"Sparing me won't change anything." Flowey assured bitterly. "Killing me is the only way to end this."

MERCY.

"If you let me live..." Slowly, a smile begin to tug at Flowey's cracked and bleeding lips. "I'll come back."

MERCY.

"I'll kill you." Flowey leaned forward, venom on his tongue.

MERCY.

"I'll kill everyone." He assured, that wicked smile growing, even as green blood slipped from his lips.

MERCY.

"I'll kill everyone you love." His eyes went dark, expression growing freakish and demonic.

MERCY.

"..." Flowey's eyes narrowed inquisitively, expression changing back to normal.

MERCY.

"...?" Slowly, he tilted his head to the side, eyes unblinking in their stare up at me.

MERCY.

"... Why?" He finally asked, aggravation clear in his tone.

MERCY.

"... Why are you being..." He lowered his head then, looking to be considering. "So nice to me?"

MERCY.

"I can't understand." Flowey confessed quietly, shaking his head.

MERCY.

"I can't understand!" Flowey shouted, finally looking up to me. I only continued to stare, not saying a word.

MERCY.

"I just can't understand..." Flowey sunk back down, staring at the ground for a moment before popping back into it, disappearing.

*Flowey ran away.

"... Eugh..." I groaned after a moment, reaching up and running a hand down my face.

"Doesn't it feel nice to be nice..?" Frisk smiled weakly up at me, and I laughed a little, kneeling down next to them.

"Man, you got all fucked up." I snerked, and Frisk chuckled tiredly, rolling over onto their back.

"You should see the other guy..." They laughed a little, and I took a seat next to them, laughing right along with them while I laid back.

We laid there for a few moments, watching color return to the world around us.

"... Alright." Frisk closed their eyes. "We should probably LOAD back."

"Eyup..." I agreed, groaning as I sat up. "I got it."

I reached out my hand, and the screen displaying my SAVE FILE appeared before me.

"Wait!"

I jumped, eyes darting to Gaster as he reached through a portal.

"Christ, Wingding!" I recoiled, looking over to him. "Damn near gave me a heart attack!"

"Apologies." Gaster grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "It's just that I would like to take Frisk outside the timeline before you two load back."

"Huh..?' Frisk sat up, wincing from the pain it caused them. "Why..?"

"You possess a monster soul, do you not?" Gaster arched a brow. "I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how useful that power boost will be against Error."

"Oh!" My eyebrows rose. "That's, actually... A really good idea."

"Alright Frisk," I walked back to Frisk as the screen displayed my SAVE FILE disappeared, getting under their arm and helping them to their feet. "Go with the space traveling stranger."

"Very funny." Frisk commented with a small smirk as I handed them over to Gaster, who helped them step into the portal.

"See ya a little bit ago." I clicked my tongue and gave the two a finger gun, and they nodded, the portal closing.

Flash.

* * *

The next few hours were a blur, at least to me. Only one person could take Alphys on the date that would inevitably lead to the beginning of her relationship with Undyne, and it became clear I'd retained my skills as Rock Paper Scissors Champ '09 when I crushed Frisk two outta three.

So, I spent that time sitting on my phone making shitposts on Undernet, including but not limited to:

"I'd beat Superman _and_ Goku in a fight."

"L over Light, any day'a the week."

"Lmao frisk be like -_-"

"Chara is yandere as fuc lol"

Eventually, though, Frisk returned, and the two of us ventured into the True Lab after Alphys.

I didn't find the place as creepy as Frisk did. How could I? Just like the amalgamates, I was created down here.

Maybe that's why, when we encountered Endogeny, they rolled right over on their belly and let me pet them.

"Aww... Who's a good puppies? Is it you guys?" I grinned, kneeling down next to Endogeny while I pet them. "I think it's you guys!"

Endogeny barked excitedly, hopping up and patting their front paws on the ground in front of them.

"Hey, Frisk, gimme your stick." I smiled over my shoulder at them, and they gave me a look that was both exasperated and confused.

"... What?" I gestured to Endogeny. "I wanna play with the puppies!"

"... Go nuts." They snerked, tossing me their stick before walking past me and Endogeny. "I'm gonna go collect more keys."

"Kay!" I called in response, before grinning back to Endogeny.

I played fetch with the dogs for several minutes, before they got sleepy, and I took a seat, letting them rest their head in my lap while I pet them.

After a few more moments, Endogeny was sound asleep, and I stood quietly, grabbing Frisk's stick and tip toeing out of the room.

I made my way down those dark hallways once more, and it felt... Less than pleasant. Not from the disgusting aura of the place, but from the hazy memories that I had from my first time here.

I'd spent the majority of my time here either in a magic induced coma or stumbling down the halls to get put into another one, and none of that was particularly unpleasant, but...

 _"Sometimes life is chaos. And you just gotta do what you gotta do. So, make your choice."_

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

My eyes narrowed up at the DT Extraction Machine. The Magic Insertion Machine. The platform on which I'd ascended to... Whatever the hell I am now.

*Fond memories.

None of my memories seem too fond these days.

But that was fine, I figured as I turned and walked into the tape recording room off of the Extractor room.

The future was all that mattered. However little of it I had left before I become the past.

*Dark.

Thank you, ever wise imaginary words that haunt me so.

I looked down to the TV and the tapes, narrowing my eyes with thought. I knew full well what story those recordings told. Who's story those recordings told.

"... Dare I?" I pondered, slowly reaching out towards the dusty tapes.

"You dare'nt."

Speaking of things that haunt me.

"Was wondering when you were gonna pop up again, Chara." I glanced over my shoulder, spotting Chara standing there, arms crossed. The look they were giving me was certainly disapproving. "Almost thought you'd have the patience to wait until Error showed up."

"I'm not a very patient person, Cter." Chara narrowed their eyes then, pausing for a moment. "... What is a 'yandere'?"

That made me laugh a little louder than I would have liked, and that clearly aggravated Chara more.

"You aren't gonna get any less irritated if I explain it to you." I shrugged while I walked past them, and they sighed, turning on their heel and walking after me.

"So, you really do rip arms off, huh?" Chara looked over at me, and I nodded.

"Oh yeah. All day." I confirmed casually. "So you watched my performance with the flower?"

"Had to take notes." Chara smirked lightly. "Glad to see you haven't gotten rusty."

"Huh..." I was only half listening, glancing back down the hall behind us. "... You probably shouldn't stay here."

"Why?" Chara tilted their head to the side. "Afraid Frisk will catch you red handed fraternizing with the enemy?"

"... I told 'em you were back. I told 'em about the deal." I spoke after a moment of hesitation, eyes remaining down the hallway.

"Oh?" Chara's eyebrows rose with surprise. "How'd they take it?"

"... They, cried." I spoke like I didn't believe my own words, eyes glossing to the floor. "Then they hugged me and, said they didn't want me to die... That I was their friend..."

"..." Chara remained silently, staring at my turned back for a moment or two. "... You don't _have_ to die, you know. Your life will continue if you team up with me."

"... Yeah." I nodded once or twice, before looking over my shoulder at them. "The deal. Why'd you change it? Why're you giving me a chance to live?"

"Hm?" They cocked a brow. "I already told you. I want a real fight from you if that is the path you are going to choose."

"... Mm..." I spoke thoughtfully, turning to face them but looking away. Indecision was a common theme with me these days.

"... Well, you should probably head out." I sighed, looking back to them. "I think it would really mess Frisk up to see you."

"Kicking me out already?" Chara smirked playfully. "Usually you let our talks go on for so much longer."

"In a bit of a hurry these days, Char-bear." I held up my phone's key chain, which displayed a key for one of the terminals in the lab. "Big stuff's on its way."

"Scramble to prepare all you like, Cter Hacker." A portal opened behind Chara, and they stepped backwards into it.

"The future will come whether you are ready or not."

* * *

 **Entry Number 18**

 _*The flower's gone._

"Ominous." I commented, crossing my arms.

"I know, right?" Frisk looked over to me as they walked by to the elevator at the end of the hallway. "Gave me chills when I first read it."

"Yeah, me too..." I muttered, looking back to the screen before following after Frisk.

"You ready?" Frisk looked over to me as we both entered the elevator, their hand reached out to the button. "There's kinda this... Totally nuts drop when we start this thing that lands us in the castle."

I shrugged, pressing my back into the corner of the elevator to prepare myself. "Go ahead."

Frisk pushed the button and, sure enough, after a few moments of peaceful elevatoring, red lights flashed, a mechanical voice screaming warning as the elevator shook.

My jaw clenched, fingers digging into the walls at the sudden feeling of a rapid drop.

I steadied my breathing, closed my eyes, and...

Crash.

* * *

"... Huh." I glanced around the black void in which I stood.

 _This is not normal._

Footsteps echoed, and I looked directly ahead. My emerald eyes went wide, and I felt my heart skip a beat at the sight of the small albino boy that walked from the shadows. He looked up to me with curious ruby eyes.

 _He recognizes you._

"A-Anny?" I leaned forward, but jolted when my face bounced from some invisible wall.

 _That hurt._

I thought that it had hurt, and I grabbed my face like it had hurt, but I did not feel any pain.

 _He's dead._

I looked up, and terror struck into my heart when I saw the grotesque, red shaded and grinning outline of a woman step out from behind Anthony, who just kept smiling like nothing was wrong.

I tried to push forward, but the wall stopped me in my tracks. I tried to cry out to him, tried to scream a warning, but it felt like my throat had squeezed shut. I flailed and I pounded on the wall as that woman cocked back that god forsaken crowbar, but Anthony... he just kept smiling at me.

The boy crumpled to the ground with his mother's strike, and I turned my head to the side, clenching my eyes shut tight.

 _I don't want to see this._

I turned around to run from the scene, only for my face to bounce off another invisible force field, sending me stumbling back and looking ahead.

A little old woman stood there, grinning a crooked smile as grey hairs fell haphazardly over her face.

 _If only._

Pain and desperation reflected in my eyes, and I slowly placed a hand on the field separating us. I didn't bother trying to scream this time, watching as one tall, white haired man crept from the shadows behind Granny.

He smiled, giddily waving that knife around while he approached her, and I turned away when he prepared to strike.

 _I can still hear it._

Suddenly, both of their screams entered my ears. Granny's and Anthony's. Screaming and crying and the sick slashing and crunching that their attackers brought down upon them.

 _Make it stop._

I clamped my hands down over my ears, but the horrors that I heard found their way into my head. As they always did.

 _Make it stop!_

I crumpled to the ground in a pathetic ball, hiding away from the sights and sounds that surrounded me.

 _MAKE IT STOP!_

Quiet.

Gradually, I opened my eyes. I was no longer in the void, I was instead laying at the top of a mountain, a steep drop looming at my side.

I quickly rolled away from the drop and climbed to my feet, looking curiously out to the beautiful blue sky that I stood under. On the horizon, pinks and oranges crept across the clouds with the setting sun.

 _Drip... Drip..._

I looked over my shoulder, and my eyebrows furrowed with silent surprise.

Across from me, on the top of the mountain, Chara stood. Barely.

Their chest heaved with labored breathing, and blood ran down from their hairline and their split lip. They held their right arm, which was completely limp, and they were favoring one leg, clearly trying to keep weight from the other.

They looked... Tired. Exhausted, even, of fighting. Like a wounded predator they stared at me, and they continued to stumble closer, no matter how much pain it caused them.

 _They need help._

Slowly, skeptically, I reached out towards them, tilting my head to the side curiously.

THUNK.

My eyes went wide, darting to the ink that had fired from my sleeve against my will, and then to the chest it'd stabbed clean through.

Chara went limp, only held up by the spike of ink that fired through their chest, which their trembling red eyes slowly settled on. Blood poured down their chin, and ran in streams down the ink.

 _I don't want this._

And then, just as Chara looked up, their agonized eyes locking with mine, my fist clenched on it's own, and the ink spike exploded out into more spikes, turning Chara into a pin cushion from the inside out.

 _ **"AAAAGH!"**_

* * *

I jolted up, eyes snapping open as I gasped for air, brown hair falling in strands over my face, which icy sweat beaded down.

"Ah... Ah..." I gradually closed my eyes after finding myself back in that elevator, and I gently leaned my head against the wall to my side.

"Bad dream..?" Frisk glanced over at me from the wall they leaned against, right next to the open elevator door.

"Oh god..." I groaned, reaching up and running my hands over my face to wipe the sweat from it. "Like you wouldn't believe..."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Frisk asked, straightening their back against the wall they leaned against.

"I am..." I held my opened hands out in front of myself and slowly widened my eyes. "... No where near ready to unbox all of what that was."

"Well, then we don't have to. I would never wanna put you through something that stressful." Frisk stood, offering me a hand. "Now lets go fight God."

I chuckled at their joke while I reached up, taking their hand.

"Sounds good."

* * *

"Humans... It was nice to meet you." Asgore lowered his head, shadows covering his eyes.

"Goodbye."

Before Asgore could draw his trident, however, light flashed down the hallway, flying right between Frisk and I and blasting into Asgore with a fiery flash.

Asgore dropped flat on his ass, coughing from the smoke of his own singed hairs and waving one large fuzzy hand to disperse said smoke.

"What a horrible creature, torturing such poor, innocent youth." Toriel stated coldly as she walked into the barrier room, shaking the smoke from her palm.

"Goat Mom?"

"Mom?"

Frisk and I looked over our shoulders at Toriel at the same time after speaking at the same time.

Toriel smiled at our reactions, nodding.

"Yes, it is I." Toriel confirmed. "At first I thought I would let the two of you make your journey alone, but..."

"The truth is, I just could not stop worrying about you both." Toriel grinned somewhat sheepishly.

Ha. Sheepish.

"Your journey, it must have been so treacherous." Toriel shook her head, looking to the ground. "And, ultimately, it would present you with such a terrible decision..."

"To take another persons life for your freedom... To trade your morals and beliefs..." Toriel looked back up to us. "I cannot allow that to happen."

"As terrible as Asgore is..." Toriel cast a sideways look over to Asgore, who stared at her with an utterly stunned expression. "He deserves mercy, too."

"Tori..." A hopeful smile overcame Asgore's face as he climbed to his feet. "You came back..!"

"Do not 'Tori' me, Dreemurr." Toriel shot Asgore a death glare, making his hope train stop dead in it's tracks.

"Hey, c'mon Goat Mom, go easy on him." I interjected, stepping over to Asgore and putting a hand on his back. "I don't think he wanted this any more than you did."

"That man is a coward and a meek fool and I have nothing more to say to him." Toriel's glare landed on me that time, and I grinned nervously.

"Hey, sorry man." I shrugged sheepishly, looking up to Asgore while I whispered. "I tried."

Tears beginning to stream down his sad face, Asgore just rested his head atop mine for comfort, which made me chuckle some while I continued to pat his back.

"Nggaaahhhhh!"

Undyne suddenly slid into the room after the sound of her feet pounding down the hallway got everyone's attention.

"Asgore! Humans! Nobody fight each other!" She said urgently with her trademark snarl. "Everybody's gonna make nice and be friends or else I'll-!"

"... I'll..?" Undyne looked between Toriel, Frisk, and Asgore and me, her expression softening with confusion. "What am I, late?"

"Hello!" Toriel greeted with a polite smile. "I am Toriel. Are you a friend of Cter and Frisk? It is very nice to meet you!"

"Uhh... Yeah? Nice to meet you too!" Undyne grinned convincingly, before rushing over to Asgore.

"Yikes, Asgore, is that your ex..?" Undyne whispered, standing at Asgore's other side. he nodded quietly in response. "Geez... That's rough buddy."

"Hey! Stop! N-nobody hurt each other!"

We all looked to the door, finding Alphys bursting in urgently, before looking between all of us and beginning to sweat anxiously.

"Oh, hello! Are you another friend?" Toriel greeted with a smile. "It's nice to meet you!"

"O-oh! Um! Hi!" Alphys smiled nervously, before leaning over to Frisk and whispering: "There's two of them..?!"

"Hey!" Papyrus was next to race into the room. "No one fight anyone! If you do, then I'll! Be forced! To ask Undyne for help!"

"Hello!" Toriel greeted simply when Papyrus' surprised eyes laid upon her.

"Oh, hello, your majesty!" Papyrus waved, smiling, before leaning over to Frisk. "Psst, Frisk... Did the king shave? And, clone himself?"

"Yooooo!" Echoed down the hall, and my head snapped to look down the hall.

"Nobody-!" Monster Kid face-planted with a simple trip, cutting himself off.

". . ." Everyone watched with an anime sweat drop drooping down the back of their head, before Kid suddenly lifted his head up and looked to us as if nothing had happened.

"Nobody fight! It's a bad idea! Don't do..! It..?" Monster Kid's face slowly scrunched up with confusion, and I chuckled, kneeling down in front of him.

"Glad you could make it to the improve friend gathering." I wrapped an arm around Kid, lifting him to his feet before letting go of him.

"Hello!" Toriel smiled over to Monster Kid. "Are you Cter's friend?"

 _Oh god Toriel don't ask him that I don't know how he's gonna answer I'm not sure if we're ready for that kind of label-_

"Heck yeah I'm his friend!" Monster Kid grinned wide, and I looked pleasantly surprised, eyes darting over to him. "He's the coolest dude I know, haha!"

 _... Oh._ I smiled lightly, and a pink shade dusted over my cheeks. _Well that feels nice._

"You guys are so cute..!" Frisk whispered to me, and I snapped at them with embarrassment.

"Shut up..!" I whisper screamed. At some point in me glaring at Frisk for that grin they wore, Sans appeared, and he and Toriel began their conversation.

"I agree!" Mettaton suddenly interjected, Monster Kid and I jumping as he too stepped from the shadows hallway behind us, putting an arm around each of us. "You two make quite the dynamic duo!"

The multiple conversations between our many friends went on for a few more moments, before everyone gathered up in front of Frisk and I, smiling happily.

"My children, it appears that you will have to stay here for awhile." Toriel smiled gently. "But, seeing all the great friends you have made... I think... I think you will be happy here."

"By the way, Papyrus... You called everyone here, right?" Alphys looked over to the tall skeleton at her side. "Well, everyone besides Kid and Toriel."

"Erm, anyway..." Alphys shook her head, refocusing. "If I got here before you did, how did you know to call everyone?"

"Well, lets just say a tiny flower helped me!"

And just like that, the magic of this moment was ripped away.

In an instant, vines fired from the earth, wrapping around each of our friends and lifting them into the air, pain overtaking their once happy expressions.

"You IDIOTS!" Flowey pooed from the ground between our friends and us, grinning wickedly. "While you goons were having your little pow wow, I GOT THE HUMAN SOULS!"

"And now, not only do I have those souls under my power," Flowey titled his head back to gesture to our friends. "But all of your friends' souls are gonna be mine, too!"

"And you know what the best part is?" Flowey's eyes went black, lips curving up in a grotesque and unnatural way. "It's all your fault."

"It's all because YOU MADE THEM LOVE YOU."

At this point in Flowey's speech, I growled, pulling back one hand and feeling ink swirl in my sleeve. Frisk was quick to grab my hand, however, and when I shot them a side glance they shook their head at me with a pleading look in their eye.

"All that time you spent listening to them... Encouraging them... Caring about them..." Flowey winked an eye shut, sticking his tongue out. "Without that, they never would have come here."

"And now, with their souls and the humans together..." Flowey's face took up that twisted black eyed grin. "I will achieve my REAL FORM."

"Listen, if you idiots can somehow manage to fumble a victory out of this," Flowey scoffed at the impossibility. "I'll release the souls. I'll destroy the barrier. You'll 'win' the 'game'."

"But that's not what's going to happen." Flowey's face morphed into an over sized grin, which then almost seemed to melt slightly, drooping. "You..!"

"I'll keep you here no matter what!"

At that, vines shot from the earth behind Frisk and I, wrapping us up and lifting us into the air like it did our friends.

" _Even if it means killing you 1,000,000,000 times_."

Flowey's wicked cackle echoed while the thorns of his vines tore into our flesh and nearly crushed our frames. All the while, 'friendliness' pellets appeared around us and fired down at us, slashing across our skin and sending droplets of crimson splattering across the tile floor.

I grit my teeth, lowering my head and biting back cries of pain.

 ***Fight.**

 _No, don't do that..!_ I clenched my hands into fists, trying to bring a stop to the red that was beginning to steam from the cuts Flowey had created on my skin. I could feel ink writhing under my jacket.

Suddenly, fire blasted up around us, scorching away the oncoming pellets and the vines that restrained us before gradually dying down to embers in a circle around us.

Frisk and I dropped down onto our hands and knees, panting for breath before a voice rang out in the dark.

"Fear not, my children..." I managed to lift my head, looking up to see Toriel's kind - yet strained - smile. "We will... Always be here to... Protect you!"

Flowey scowled, and vines fired from our sides to finish us, only for a bone and a spear to fire down, slicing them apart.

"That's right, humans! You can win!" I turned my head to see Papyrus's unwavering grin. "Just do what I would do, believe in you two!"

"Hey, if you two made it past me, you can do ANYTHING." Undyne gave one big grin. "So don't worry, we're with you all the way!"

"Huh? you haven't beaten this guy yet?" Sans grinned in a reassuring way. "Come on, this weirdo's got nothin' on you two."

Flowey snarled while more pellets fired at Frisk and I, only for volts of electricity and fire to burn them away.

"Technically, it's impossible for you to beat him..." Alphys gulped nervously, before smiling as best she could. "But, s-somehow, I know you two can do it!"

"For the future of humans and Monsters..!" Asgore smiled with DETERMINATION. "You have to stay DETERMINED..!"

"I've seen you fight, darlings! You're strong!" Mettaton gave us that winning smile. "Much stronger than this ugly little flower, that's for sure!"

"You've got this!" Monster Kid cried out, and my eyes darted up to him, going wide. "You're gonna save us, I just know it!"

In that moment all of our friends began pouring into the room. Grillby, Shyren, Muffet, Froggits, the Royal Guards, the Dogs...

"Urrrrggh... NO!" Flowey trembled, looking out at the monsters that surrounded us. "Unbelievable! This can't be happening..!"

"You... YOU..!"

Time suddenly froze around us, and Flowey grinned wickedly, giggling with manic joy.

"I can't believe you're all so STUPID."

Suddenly, the room began to shake and tremble, and a white light emanated from Flowey's body. I watched in horror as that same light began to overtake our monster friends, everything beginning to fade to white.

I turned my head to the side and clamped my eyes shut tight to protect from the blinding light.

That's probably why I didn't see the portal open behind me, or the skeletal hand that reached through and grabbed me by the back of my shirt.

I _did_ feel it yank me back through the portal, though.

"H-huh?!" I fell back onto my bottom, and my eyes widened up at the closing portal. "No!"

I lunged forward, but the portal disappeared, and I landed on my hands and knees in the darkness of the void.

"You!" I snapped, looking over my shoulder to Gaster. I would never know, but red washed for only a moment over the green of my left iris. "Take me back! They need me!"

"I'm sorry Cter." Gaster held his hands up defensively, slowly shaking his head. "But I need you a lot more than they do."

"How could you possibly-!" I jumped up to my feet and pointed a scolding finger at Gaster, before I stopped dead in my tracks. My voice caught in my throat, my breath in my lungs, my heart in my chest.

I stared past Gaster, right at the photo negative skeleton that stood across from us.

"Cter The Hacker." Error Sans narrowed his sockets, a delightfully wicked smile creeping up his face. "I've got a bone to pick with you."

Cold sweat forming on my brow, I gulped down my throat full of anxieties.

 **"... Fuck."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	17. Chapter 17: From The Steeple

**Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, Darkmaster10000000, Skele, Gray Kanzakai, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, oohlips123, Monkey D, Chimera, 10burgers, Jack54311, InsertNameHere, WhoWritesThisCrap, and NBoss01.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Error Sans. (Who belongs to loverofpiggies on Tumblr, AKA Crayon Queen.)**

* * *

"Appropriate response." Error's glitching pupils darted to the side, that smug grin widening on his face.

"Any chance'a you giving me and my buddy here like... An hour?" I glanced over to Gaster, who shrugged. "We kinda had a whole team put together but a flower ate them and uh-"

"I've waited long enough for this moment." Error began to walk closer, throwing one hand out to the side. As he did so, wires of blue spread from his fingers. "I'm not wastin' another second."

"Look, Error, I know why you're here." I took a step forward, holding my hands out in front of me.

"Because you glitched me and I'm gonna kill you for it." Error confirmed casually, not stopping his march towards us.

"... Yeah, that." My eyes darted to the side, before going back to Error. "And, look, before we start something, I just wanna say... I'm sorry."

Error paused at that, squinting his sockets like he really didn't understand.

"I can't be sure if what happened to you is my fault, and if it is, I didn't mean to do it." I shook my head while I spoke. "... And, I'm sorry."

"..." Error paused, skeletal expression softening with quiet consideration.

"I don't know you, and I don't have a problem with you." I spoke honestly, holding my hands out to my sides. "I don't wanna fight you."

Gaster cast a nervous glance between Error and I, and for just a moment, the intensity of this stare down seemed to dissipate into the void.

Until...

"Heheheh... HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

My jaw clenched, eyes narrowing at Error while he threw his head back, that glitchy, skipping and pitch shifting laughter echoing out over the void. He held open palms out to his sides. If light hit his fingers correctly, one would be able to make out the wires the puppeteer had attached to his digits.

"Well that's great news, Hacker." Error smiled devilishly when he lowered his head to look directly at me. "I don't wanna fight you, either."

Error yanked his hands forward then, throwing his left wrist over his right in front of himself and sending a barrage of bones tied to his strings racing down from the dark towards Gaster and I.

 **"I WANNA KILL YOU."**

 **Chapter 17: From The Steeple**

 _"Kid, please... You have to win."_

* * *

"Well it was worth a shot." I muttered, before throwing up both hands. Ink fired up from my sleeves and split into a barrage of different streams, each one flinging onto Error's approaching bones and wrapping up them, rapidly traveling up his strings and racing down towards him.

Error wasted no time in detaching his strings and jumping back as ink stabbed through the ground where he once stood, racing after him. he threw one hand out to the side as he jumped back, three glitching Gaster Blasters appearing over his head and firing down into the ink, obliterating it. The blasters then tilted upwards, firing their beams out towards Gaster and I, who jumped away from one another.

The waves of white hot energy fired between the doctor and I, before the two end Error Blasters turned their wrath towards us, chasing Gaster and I with their beams.

I ran low to the ground as the blast rapidly gained on me, before reaching out with one hand towards the Error Blasters. A giant pencil eraser fired down from above in the next instant, slamming the dragon skulls to the ground and smashing them with relative ease.

I skidded to a stop, eyes darting around to find where Error had disappeared to, before the void under my feet shifted, and I quickly jumped back, watching those red bones fire from the black that I had just been standing atop.

I slid back on my feet, before my eyes darted up at the one enormous bone that launched down from above, and I threw my arm up quickly, keys rapidly forming together to form a wall between the bone just before it collided with the wall, sending cracks exploding through the keys.

I was once again forced to jump back as the bone crashed through my keys and slammed down with a gust of wind that threw the now shards of plastic away from it, forcing me to throw up one hand to guard my eyes.

When the wind died down, I lowered my head and glared up to the top of the bone, where Error stood, grinning right down at me, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets.

Suddenly, Error was jumping into the air, two giant regular colored bones firing up from the sides of his red bone and meeting at the top, smashing together where Error had been standing.

Two Gaster Blasters appeared at Error's sides while he was in air, charging hellfire from in their maws. Error was quick to throw both hands out to each of them, however, blue wires firing from his fingers and entangling the Blasters and making their eyes go dark.

With the command of Error's fingers, the Gaster Blasters turned their heads to me just as their beams fired forth, and I threw out one hand, sending ink whipping forward and wrapping around the triple bone pillar of calcium before I yanked myself forward, leaning back while I slid across the ground, ducking under the fire of the Blasters.

My feet slammed into the pillar, and I threw out my other hand towards the top of the pillar, ink spewing upwards and sticking to the top before rapidly receding and yanking me upwards.

I glanced over my shoulder, and I grimaced at the red bones firing at me while I ascended before I planted my against the bone, kicking off of it and flinging back into the air, throwing out my other hand and sending another rope of ink flinging to the top of the pillar. I tugged both arms back to my chest, and pulled myself upwards, bones flinging by me all the while as I launched towards the top, flipping and landing before spinning around and extending one hand to the oncoming bones. A wall of keys appeared at my command, the bones thunking to a stop in the wall.

I glared up to Error, who stood atop one of his stolen Gaster Blasters, grinning as he pointed at me with one finger gun, making a motion like he'd fired the gun and pulling the strings with said motion.

I jumped back from the bone, throwing my arms up in an X while the beams from Error's command exploded into the bone, sending shards of calcium and smoke blasting into me with a shock wave and tossing me rapidly back down towards the ground.

I slammed into the floor of the void and bounced, blunt force trauma rocking my body as I rolled rapidly across the ground before eventually sliding on my side to a stop.

"Cter!" Gaster stepped through a portal and knelt at my side. "Are you alright?"

"Eugh..." I groaned, gradually climbing to one knee. "I don't mean to be a dick, G, but you gotta gimme more of a hand here..."

"Wakey wakey!"

Gaster and I both looked up to the blasts racing closer From Error's two stolen blasters and the additional Error Blaster's he'd summoned, one on each side of him, and Gaster swiftly threw up one hand, a large portal opening before the beams and devouring them, sending them to god knows where.

"Point taken." Gaster looked back to me, before hooking one arm under mine, lifting me to my feet. "Now get up."

"Cover me." I told Gaster, and he nodded. Then, I knelt down, before bursting off across the ground towards where Error floated.

As his blasters turned their maws towards me, the earth around me rumbled, before ivory bones fired upwards towards Error from it, making him narrow his sockets with irritation and pull up on his Blaster, dodging away from the barrage.

Gaster Blasters appeared across the sky from Error, firing waves of magic energy across the void at glitched skeleton, who tugged on his strings, making his own shoot back. As the beams blasted against one another, the void was alight in flashing white.

I continued ahead, running right to the side of Error's caravan of lethal skulls while he was distracted before throwing up one arm and sending a stream of ink flinging up and sticking to the side of the closest Blaster while I sprinted. Key after key appeared like platforms before me, and I swiftly jumped onto them, using them like a staircase before diving from them and yanking on that rope of ink, swinging around the back of Error's Blasters and cocking back one leg.

Error looked over his shoulder in the nick of time, lifting one forearm and blocking my kick with it, the two of us glaring at one another before the force of the kick sent Error launching over the edge of the blaster platform he'd built.

I dove after him just as Gaster's blasters overtook the ones we'd been standing on, obliterating them as I fell after Error. I yanked back one hand, throwing it down towards Error and sending ink launching out towards him, wrapping around the photo negative skeleton and yanking him up towards me while I cocked back my free hand, clenching it into a tight fist.

Red beginning to mist from my knuckles, I threw my fist downward, only for Error to reach up swiftly, wrapping his digits around my wrist and pulling my fist aside, shifting and spinning us in air so that it was now my back facing the rapidly approaching ground. Then, he planted both feet in my chest and kicked down, sending the air blasting out from my lungs and me blasting down towards the void floor.

Wincing, I looked over my shoulder at the ground that raced up to meet me, eyes quickly widening at the crimson bones that jutted from the earth, eagerly awaiting my landing.

As my mind raced to find a way to save my own ass, one large skeletal hand with a hole punched in its palm opened at my side, catching me in the nick of time and carrying me away from the patch of bones.

The hand opened as it reached the floor next to Gaster, and I hopped down next to him.

"Nice save, doc." I nodded my thanks to Gaster, who looked from me to where Error landed across from us, watching us with murder in his eyes.

"I think I would like to take the lead this time." Gaster stated calmly, taking a step forward.

"Go for it, G." I nodded, crouching some as ink filtered down from my pant legs, forming a circle of rushing streams around me. "I'll cover ya."

"Appreciated." Gaster bent at the knees, before launching forward across the ground, throwing one hand out to the side and forming an arms length bone that came to a straight point.

"Aren't you a little too fragile for a head on assault, Wingdings?" Error chuckled, flicking one hand out towards Gaster and sending a barrage of stringed bones flinging down from above towards the doctor.

"You would be," Gaster darted from side to side, the beams of Beat Blasters obliterating bones from above, only a few stragglers making it through. "Surprised by what I can do!"

"Oh yeah?" Error grinned as Gaster lunged at him, yanking up his fingers and sending pointed bones firing from the earth at him.

In that instant, however, a portal opened before Gaster, and he disappeared into it, Error's sockets going wide with surprise.

Quickly looking over his shoulder, Error spun on his heel to face behind him just as Gaster jumped from another portal over his shoulder, yanking back that bone and stabbing forward at Error, who had begun jumping back away from the oncoming attack. Too little too late.

Error grunted with pain, eyes darting to the calcium dagger that Gaster drove into his shoulder, tearing his sweatshirt and embedding it in his bone.

Error's eyes darted back to Gaster, and he snarled, throwing his hands up and sending wires launching towards Gaster, who jumped back through another portal before the blue strings could reach him.

"Where did you-?!" Error's eyes darted around his surroundings swiftly, before a portal opened at his side, and he threw up one arm, blocking an elbow from Gaster. The two locked furious eyes for a moment, before Gaster disappeared into another hole in space.

Error threw his head from side to side, widening his stance before another hole opened directly behind his knee, and he snarled in pain as another spike of bone was jabbed through his body, this one piercing his knee cap and making him drop down onto one knee and one elbow, grunting in pain.

Error's eyes darted up to the Gaster Blaster that suddenly charged over him, and he swiftly threw his hand out to the side, strings whipping from his finger tips and wrapping around the Error Blaster that formed in the distance.

Error yanked himself rapidly across the void, spinning in air and landing on his one good leg atop the blaster, glaring back to the Gaster Blaster that fired in vain.

Wait... Why was it still shooting?

Error's glitching pupils locked onto the portal that the beam was going into, and with the clench of his teeth he yanked his hand up, making his blaster rise just as a portal opened behind where he had just been, the blast firing through it.

Error watched, however, as another portal opened before the beam, swallowing it whole. And the glitched Sans watched carefully as he watched another portal open high above him, sending the beam firing down towards him, only for yet another portal to open.

Portal after portal opened, the beam jumping rapidly through space and forming a curving, bending, and turning construct of blinding light around Error, who winced, throwing his body about just to keep up.

 _There!_ He suddenly concluded, smirking to himself as he spun around, finding a portal opening behind him and lifting a single hand, a wall of bones beginning to construct as things seemed to move in slow motion. _Predictable, he always aims for the back._

But, just as the bone wall almost finished closing, Error watched another rift open inches in front of the first, his sockets widening as errors began to glitch in his sockets, obscuring his vision.

 _A decoy?!_

Error swiftly turned his head, managing to spot the portal that opened mere inches from his side through his darkening eyes, the light that flashed from within washing over him rapidly.

 _... Clever doctor._

* * *

"Hooooly shit!" I exclaimed, lips curving up in a shocked, open mouth smile while I took a step forward. "That was awesome, Gaster!"

Gaster grinned sheepishly over at me, rubbing the back the back of his skull and holding up his index and middle finger in a V for Victory.

"Jesus, I think we might'a worried too hard for this one." I shook my head while I approached Gaster. "What'd that take us? Like fifteen minutes?"

"I admit, I'm a little embarrassed for getting everyone so worked up." Gaster laughed nervously, beginning to walk towards me. "I'm sure Sans will get a kick out of this."

"That's for sure." I scoffed with amusement. "I'm sure Chara will have plenty'a remarks-"

I paused then, eyes widening as I watched a rift in space swiftly tear open just behind Gaster, the joy instantly wiped from my face as I reached out, everything seeming to slow down.

 _"B_e_h_i_n_d_y_o_u_!"_

Gaster's eyebrows began to raise while he turned his head to look over his shoulder. The joy disappeared from his face just as that glitching, frame skipping eye came into view from the darkness of that portal.

And time rapidly sped back up as those blue wires fired from the dark, instantly curling around his chest and circling over the left side. They writhed disgustingly, pulling from Gaster's being a Monster Soul. The wires wrapped tightly around the soul, squeezing it relentlessly and making Gaster shout with pain, throwing his head back.

As Gaster writhed desperately, his movements began to slow to dull trembles, and his shouts dissipated into the creeping darkness that surrounded us. Gaster's wide eyes stared upwards, and slowly, his white dot pupils faded away into the vantablack of his skull. His arms fell limp at his sides. His knees buckled, and all that kept him from tumbling to the floor were the strings that restrained him.

"Arrogant. Cocky. Hubris-riddled." Error chuckled, shaking his head and shutting his sockets while he stepped through the portal, casually dropped the two bones that had been stuck in his body at his feet with his off hand.

My jaw clenched, and I took an instinctive step back as Gaster's body lurched forward, head falling limp and arms swaying some.

"You didn't really think that one little combo would keep someone like me down, did'ja?" Error tilted his head to the side to look past Gaster's restrained form to me. That malicious grin was wider than ever.

"Let him go, Error!" I snapped, fists clenching as I took a step forward. "This is between you and me, right?! So leave him out of it!"

"Oh, _now_ it's between you and me?" Error rolled his eyes. "Now that your pawn's in danger you wanna leave him out of this?"

"No." Error's cold eyes landed on me, that wicked smile reflecting nothing but murder. "You let wingdingus get involved and now he has to suffer the consequences of your negligence."

"Just like all of them are gonna suffer." Error lifted his hand lazily, gesturing to the screen displaying my universe that stood a good distance to our side. Then, he moved his hand back towards me, pointing one digit right at me. "All because of _you_."

I growled with frustration under Error's judgmental glare, feeling cold sweat begin to drip down my skin.

"I'm not gonna ask again, Error." Hands clenching into fists, I took a step forward. On my face was a deep frown, a certain measure of withheld wrath shining in my eyes. "Let him go and get the hell out of here."

Error cackled at my words, throwing his head back and reaching up to grab his face. In the next instant, however, he let go of his face and whipped his head back down to grin right at me.

"OR WHAT?!"

"Or I'm gonna rip your fuckin' arms off!" I snapped, feeling red flare in my soul. A crimson shade flickered in my left eye, and I launched forward with one step, cocking back a fist.

I dashed right past Gaster to Error, red steaming from my knuckles as I rushed right up to the puppeteer, who just stood there, staring right up at me with that cocky grin.

GRAB.

My eyes darted over my shoulder to the hole punched hand that wrapped around my wrist and withheld my punch. In the next instant, my arms were yanked to my sides, one unresponsive Gaster latching his own arms around me and holding me in place.

I snarled, and just as I began to thrash, Error swiftly lifted one hand, and those blue wires fired out from his finger tips, instantly ensnaring my soul.

My eyes went wide, jaw unclenching with a roar of pain as those wires squeezed tight around my crimson heart. I felt control over my limbs fade in mere seconds, and my jaw clenched shut, entire body trembling in a losing battle for control. I dropped to my knees, wide eyes staring at the floor, icy sweat pouring down my trembling form.

Error just stood there for a few moments, he and his new puppet Gaster looming over me. Gaster remained entirely lifeless, and Error smiled wholeheartedly.

"... I've waited a long time for this moment, you know." Error's voice was calm. Stern. Slowly, I lifted my head, wincing and gritting my teeth with exertion.

"All this time, just wondering what the hell happened to me. I'd almost begun to think that it was some cruel joke. The work of some god that wanted a good laugh." Error's sockets narrowed down at me then. "But, you? You're no god. No angel, no heavenly figure."

"Just another brat playing a game you don't understand." Error lifted one hand over his shoulder, and a single red bone manifested over his palm, coming to a brutal point. "Messin' with lives. Thinking you can do whatever you want."

"Oh yeah..?" I challenged with all my might, hands clenching into shaky fists at my sides. "So I guess you're just like me, huh..?"

Error's jaw tightened with aggravation, sockets narrowing. "Difference is, I'm walking away from this fight, and you aren't."

"Then you better shoot to kill, Error." I growled, teeth grinding while I glared up at the glitchy skeleton before me. "'Cause you're really not gonna like what happens if I get up."

"Hm." Error scoffed in amusement, grin widening as he gripped that bone that floated over his palm. "Make peace with your God."

"I am my God." I narrowed my emerald eyes hatefully up at Error as he cocked back that spike, aiming right for the space between my eyes.

Error began laughing, and he tightened his grip on that spike, preparing to-!

SLASH.

Both Error's and my eyes went wide in that instant, the strings that restrained Gaster and I falling gently to the ground as time seemed to slow. Our eyes both locked onto the one that knelt down between us, having launched down in the blink of an eye.

Knife pressed against the floor of the void, Chara looked to Error from the corner of one shining red right eye, and a smile crept up their face, just before time sped back up, and they lunged upwards, ramming their free fist into Error's face and sending him launching back away from us.

"'Or I'll rip your fucking arms off.'" They repeated my words slowly, and I smirked knowingly as they looked over their shoulder at me. "You sweet talk every murderous lunatic like that? Here I thought I was special."

"Fashionably late." I commented sarcastically, climbing to my feet with a groan of exertion.

Gaster groaned weakly, before falling forward towards me. I was quick to spin around, catching him against my chest and wrapping arms around him to hold him up.

"I blacked out there..." Gaster managed to speak, though his voice was weak and tired. "Have we been killed..?"

"Not yet, G." I smiled a little, patting Gaster on the back. "Chara showed up to save us like the big hero they are."

"Piss off." Chara's voice rang from behind me.

"That's... Good..." Gaster spoke tiredly, his sockets slowly coming to a close.

"We'll take it from here, doc." I said as Gaster slumped over against me, seeming to fall asleep. "You get some sleep."

Gaster didn't respond, but Chara scoffed. "So all three of those skeletons get tired that easily?"

"Alright well once you hop up and start dancing after Error strangles _your_ soul, you'll have the right to run your mouth." I shot them a glance over my shoulder while I shifted Gaster into my arms.

I jumped across the void then, sailing through the air and landing next to the rift that lead into our timeline. I peeked into the tear in the void, but couldn't see anything past a shifting wall of multicolored lights.

"... Well, it doesn't look like I can just drop you into that..." I muttered, eyes shifting down to Gaster. After a brief moment of consideration, I dropped to one knee and set him gently on his back. Then, upon standing back up, I lifted one hand, and a box of keys swiftly formed protectively over Gaster's unconscious form.

After I turned around and jumped back over to Chara, they crossed their arms, tilting their head to look at me.

"Are you done?" Chara cocked a brow. "We _do_ have a job that I thought you said was important."

"I was starting to think you weren't gonna show." I smirked lightly over at Chara. "Thought you'd gone chicken shit on me."

"I keep my word, Cter Hacker." Chara's lips curved up in a grin, and they looked ahead to where Error was stepping from the shadows, chuckling and rubbing his cheek, right where Chara's knuckles had connected. "I'll gladly help you deal with the freaky little skeleton."

"Chara Dreemurr. Can't say I expected to see _you_ here." Error shoved his hands into his pockets, grinning in a friendly way. Or, at least a way that _looked_ friendly. "In fact, could'a swore you were dead."

"Dead is subjective." Chara spoke with a shrug, casually waving that knife.

"Heheheheh..." Error lowered his head with his laughter, before quickly lifting his skull and revealing pupilless eyes. He threw his arms out from his pockets then, sending strings with bones attached to their ends flinging out from his hands and into the shadows that surrounded us. "It won't be."

"Cter?" Chara did not look to me, bending at the knees and smiling with a certain measure of excitement.

"Mhm?" I shifted my footing so that my right foot took the lead, lifting my right hand and flashing the ink that slithered over my fingers, also keeping my eyes locked onto Error.

Chara's grip on that knife tightened.

 **"Hit the music."**

And as Chara fired forward, _Waters Of Megalovania_ by _BotanicSage_ began playing through the Beat Blasters that manifested over my shoulders.

Error threw his hands forward, sending those bones flinging down towards Chara as they raced to meet him.

Chara dived through the bones, weaving past them only for Error to pull their strings and make the bones sling right back after them. But ever skillful at dealing with skeletons, Chara continued on, jumping over and ducking under bones, slashing to and fro to sever the wires that held them.

Chara lunged at Error, yanking back that knife and stabbing at his head, only for him to swiftly tilt his skull to the side and dodge their blade, sending their arm soaring over his shoulder.

Chara flipped their knife around to be facing back towards themself before they stabbed at the back of Error's head, only for him to duck under the stab and pop up behind it, lifting one hand and sending strings flinging up at Chara from his finger tips, only for them to jump back and slash the wires to ribbons. The moment they were out of range, Error had to jump back as well, a pencil eraser smashing down to the earth where he'd just been.

A portal opened behind Error, and he hopped right back through it just in time to evade the patch of pens that fired from the floor where he'd been standing.

My eyes darted up towards where Error now floated above atop an Error Blaster, and I was quick to throw up a wall of keys to block the wretched blast it sent flinging down towards me.

When I lowered the keys, I found Chara racing across the ground towards where Error floated, and I took the hint, quickly throwing up one hand out towards them.

Keys formed like platforms, each one just big enough for Chara to place a foot on and jump off of to the next, swiftly ascending further and further into the air towards Error with each leap.

Error just chuckled, the maw of his beast opening wide and shining bright wrath down upon Chara, who was quick to jump directly over the beam of magic that seared through the tiles they'd been jumping from, leaving them nothing to land on but the floor thirty feet below as the beam finished passing under them, leaving nothing but the smoke from the incinerated plastic in its wake.

But just as quickly as Chara disappeared into the smoke, they rose right back out, knelt on a paper airplane that raced up towards Error. Other airplanes exploded from the smoke after them, a whole fleet racing up towards Error.

Error swiftly throws out his hands, wires whipping from his finger tips and shredding paper to ribbons. Chara stood at the front of their airplane, relentlessly slashing away wires and strings until they were close enough to dive forward, blue entangling the airplane they'd dove from and ripping it apart as Chara lunged across the way, yanking back their knife.

Error stepped to the side on the skull of his Error Blaster, Chara landing and stabbing through nothing but air. They swiftly spun on their heel, slashing at Error, only for the glitching skeleton to duck under the cut.

The two dove back away from one another once more as a stream of ink slashed down, chopping the blaster in half and sending it's two chunks plummeting down towards the earth with Chara and Error.

As the two fell, Error reached back with one hand before throwing in forward, and Chara watched as from the void floor that rapidly approached the two, an enormous skeletal arm fired, opening the digits of its hand to snatch Chara from the sky and crush them into a red paste.

But just as the hand reached out to grab Chara, the eraser of one long pillar of pencil smashed into it's ivory palm and shoved the arm upwards, having shot up diagonally from under Chara.

Chara landed on the pencil, rapidly sliding down before digging their knife into the wood and catching their feet, slowing their descent to a stop and beginning a dead sprint up the writing utensil.

They jumped once they reached the top, firing between skeletal fingers before landing on the arm and planting their feet, sliding rapidly down it towards Error, who stood at the base of the bone structure.

Chara dove down towards him, leaving nothing but a red slash through the air as Error stepped to the side, then ducked under another slash, then jumped back away from a stab. Chara jumped after Error, but he stamped his foot, and bones jutted sharply from the earth at an angle towards Chara, who was quick to flip in air, placing their hand atop a bone and pushing off from it, completing their flip and landing behind Error, back to back.

The two spun around, and knife collided with a sturdy bone, Error grinning mocking from behind the femur he held up in both hands, Chara's knife halfway through the ivory.

In that moment the earth quaked, six pencil erasers flying down from six different angles to smash Error, only for one gigantic rib cage to fire from the earth around the two, each rib blocking an eraser perfectly while also forming an arena around the two, like they were fighting in the chest of a long dead Giant.

Chara pulled their knife back from the bone and brandished it at their side before lunging forward with another stab that Error ducked to the side of. While he dodged, he opened one palm, and strings fired from his phalanges to wrap around Chara's ankle.

Error spun on his heel, whipped his hand out, and yanked Chara through the air, sending them launching out towards one of the rib pillars that surrounded them, which they smashed back first into, their eyes going wide from the pain and their jaws snapping open with the air that was forced up from their lungs.

Just as Error prepared to tug on his strings again and rag doll Chara around some more, a whip of ink slashed down and severed the wires, and Error looked up to see me kicking down from above.

He ducked under my kick, and I landed on hands and feet, sliding away from him on the momentum of my kick. Pens fired up from the ground behind me as I slipped across it, stabbing at Error, who hopped back out of range.

Whips of ink latched onto the ground at Error's sides then, and I yanked myself into the air over the pens and then down at him, spinning and ax kicking down at him, only for him to step to the side.

I slammed to my feet, and immediately shifted my gaze to Error at my side. He was wearing that condescending smile, just before he jumped back and onto the Error Blaster that had been charging behind him, my eyes going wide at the sudden realization that I was about to get laser beamed.

I threw my arms up in an X just as the blast fired, and ink barely had time to start wrapping over me before I was engulfed, the burning force whipping me off my feet and sending me barreling back through the air, just before my back, too, slammed into a pillar of bone, and pain fired up my spin. I felt agony from the tips of my toes to the fringes of my hair, before I dropped from the rib I had smashed into and landed on the floor of the void, groaning quietly from my body's dull ache.

Error threw his hands out towards my unmoving form, and strings once more raced out to meet me, only for Chara to flash by, slashing the strings apart as they dashed back and forth, zig-zagging down to Error, who quickly threw up his arms, catching the knee they'd dove at his skull with in both palms, before his eyes darted up to the knife they yanked above their head to stab down at him.

He swiftly shoved them up into the air by the knee he'd held, where they flipped, landing crouched and darting off at Error with rapid fire stabs, each one skillfully ducked and dodged around, before Error slid to the side, stepping out of the way of one long stab and throwing up one arm, sending one large, blunt bone firing from the earth diagonally up into Chara's chest, where it slammed brutally.

Chara's eyes went wide, and blood spewed from between their lips before they were launched into the air, flinging high and plummeting down towards my side.

I quickly summoned one large pencil eraser like a crude cushion, and Chara let out an "Oof!" When they dropped onto it, bouncing once before curling into a pained ball for a moment or two.

Panting, I pushed myself up to one knee, before raising one hand. Above us, mechanical pencils appeared, immediately starting a rapid fire of graphite down towards Error, who threw up his strings, grabbing the graphite and throwing it aside before it reached him.

The music faded out.

"This isn't working." I concluded with narrowing eyes while Chara sat up, one hand over their aching abdomen. "He keeps dodging; he's too fast for either one of us."

"Yeah, Sanses are like that..." Chara groaned bitterly, narrowing their eyes ahead at the easily dodging Error Sans. "You have to wait out their stamina."

"But he's got more of that than the both of us." My hand clenched into a fist against the ground. "And we can't exactly just throw our corpses at him until we learn his patterns and can outlast him. We both only have one life out here."

"If we could attack at the same time, we'd have a better chance of finding a weak spot in his defense." Chara reached over, taking hold of the knife that lay next to them on the eraser. "But I can't attack while you do. I'll get hit by your magic."

"And he certainly doesn't look like he'll be getting tired any time soon." I made the obvious analysis, not finding a single drop of sweat on Error's glitchy skull while he tossed away the barrage of graphite.

"So we're dead." Chara concluded pessimistically. Their knuckles whitened around the knife that they gripped anxiously.

"..." I squinted with thought, looking down from Error to my open palm for an answer.

 _"You've got this! You're gonna save us, I just know it!"_

My hand clenched into a fist.

That was all the answer I needed.

"... There's a way for us both to attack at once." I finally spoke, stern emerald eyes glossing over to Chara, who cocked a brow with confusion.

"And how's that?" Chara climbed to their feet as they questioned, pushing themself up from their seat. They didn't really sound like they believed much in whatever plan I was concocting.

I didn't respond. First, I lifted my hand, and a wall of keys formed between us and Error. This confused Chara further, and they crossed their arms, looking from the wall to me, and then over our heads to the other keys that were building together like LEGOs, forming a dome around us and covering us in a darkness neither of us could see the other in.

"... And this helps us _how_?" I heard Chara's voice from just in front of me.

A red light washed over, and I once more could see Chara's features as I lifted my glowing ruby soul out in my palm, displaying it to them.

Their eyes darted to the soul, and went wide as its light reflected in them. Then, their eyes returned to normal, locking with mine as a knowing grin crept over their face.

"... Why, Cter Hacker, you couldn't possibly mean what I think you mean, could you?" Chara spoke as though they were in disbelief, and yet they still rose their own crimson soul to mine with the palm of their hand.

"Whatever it takes." I spoke solemnly, emerald eyes unblinking as the two of us stood there in the dark, alone together. The only light originated from our wretched hearts.

Chara smiled.

"Whatever it takes."

* * *

Error's hands were lifted to the sky, strings from his fingers wrapped around the mechanical pencils that had been firing upon him and crushing them. The plastic bent and cracked, before being torn apart completely.

"What?" He looked to the dome of keys as his strings wrapped back around his fingers, tilting his head to the side. "You really think you can just turtle and you'll be saved?"

"I know you're pathetic, Hacker, but come on!" Error began laughing shaking his head. "This is just _sad_!"

"I came here expecting you to put up a real fight." Error stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Is this really all you ha-"

A pulse.

Like I shock wave of invisible force that blasted across the void. That washed over Error's glitched Monster Soul.

It felt... Disgusting. A desire to hurt, to kill, that was so powerful it made his Monster Soul squirm. It made him take a cautious step back. It made his grin look much more nervous than condescending, it made his sockets narrow at that dome. As if at any second he thought it would explode open, and some freakish monster would crawl out.

That paranoia certainly felt confirmed when the keys blasted apart, launching out across the void with a blast of smoke that made Error throw up one arm and plant his feet, his sweatshirt being thrown to and fro from the brutal gusts of wind.

"A fight."

The words blasted into Error's ears from the writhing smoke, despite how calmly they were spoken.

"That's what you said you wanted, right?"

Footsteps. A shadow shifting in the grey cloud.

"Fine."

The voice was two familiar voices overlapped.

 _Our_ voice.

Error watched with pupilless sockets as our pair of glowing red eyes pierced through the veil of smoke. Eyes that stared directly at him, unblinking.

Another few steps.

We walked from the settling dust. Knife in our right hand, ink slithering in our left.

Error snarled in a sudden show of panic, throwing his hands up and sending wires firing at us at rapid speeds.

"After all..."

Slash.

it was an easy motion. A lightning fast cut with that knife into the air that sent a shock wave racing across the void, tearing Error's strings to ribbons and forcing him to throw up his arms to block from the brutal blast of wind, his feet being pushed back a few inches across the void floor.

He lowered his arms after the wind past, face twisting in a twitching grimace as errors and glitches began to flash in his trembling sockets.

There we were.

Two in one.

Character.

 **"Who are we to deny a death wish?"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	18. Chapter 18: Down Below

**Please don't miss the author's note at the bottom. :)**

 **Thanks go to Monkey D. Chimera, BadDRUMMERboy15, Gray Kanzakai, Wingah, Infinity Soul, 10burgers, Jack54311, NBoss01, and Alrarora.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Error Sans.**

* * *

Error's skeletal fists trembled, clenched tightly at his sides as he watched us continue our approach. Slowly, methodically. We were in Cter's body, but we weren't Cter. Eyes that were once emerald were now ruby. Ruby and cold. Calculating. Unfeeling.

We could tell he was fumbling to find words. That his brain was racing to understand. But he couldn't understand. He couldn't make sense of what he was looking at. Errors clouded his eyes, and he furiously shook his head in attempt to make them disappear.

But they wouldn't disappear, because Error couldn't understand. This didn't make sense. We didn't make sense. He'd never seen anything like us, that much was obvious from the way he was trembling.

We were other worldly.

An anomaly.

A-

"Glitch!" Error shouted angrily, sweat beading down his skull and fists shaking at his sides while he took a bold step forward. "You shouldn't exist! You-!"

A gust of wind.

Error's words caught in his throat, eyes staring down at us as we now crouched down in front on him, left fist cocked back to our side.

Error's body folded around our fist, which came at him in the blink of an eye. His pupils disappeared and blood spewed from between his teeth, an explosion of wind firing out from his back from the force, just before he was sent launching like a bolt of lightning across the void and out of our sight.

"..." Slowly, we stood back to our full height. Our expression was entirely deadpan, and we lifted our thumb to the splotch of blood that had landed on our face when Error vomited crimson.

We blinked our crimson eyes emotionlessly while we wiped the blood away with our thumb, smearing red on our cheek.

"... Yup."

 **Chapter 18: Down Below**

 _"You do realize this means war?"_

* * *

Error flipped and skidded across the void floor, bones rapidly sticking out from the ground around him before his wires fired out, wrapping around them in an attempt to slow himself down.

Bones snapped, wires came loose, and Error continued to fire backwards. But his strings continued to wrap around bone after bone until he slowed to a stop, standing on shaking legs, sockets wide and twitching.

Suddenly, Error's face contorted with agony, and he wrapped both arms around his abdomen, dropping to his knees and planting his forehead on the ground, more blood splattering to the ground from between his teeth.

"T-this... Can't be right..!" Error managed to speak through the pain that choked him, one eye wide and the other twitching as red dripped from his teeth onto the pool that had formed under him. "T-that thing, it's..! It's stronger than both those kids' strengths put together..!"

"We know you're pathetic, Error, but come on. This is just _sad_."

Snarling, Error managed to lift his head to watch us walk across the void towards him, still clutching his screaming abdomen.

"Hacker! This is between you and me!" Error shouted furiously as he pushed himself to one knee, body trembling with pain. "Leave your stabby friend out of it!"

"You already got the option to keep this one on one." The corner of our mouth curled up only slightly. "And you turned that offer down. Do you know what that means?"

Error narrowed his sockets, jaw clenching as he climbed to his feet, one hand still over his rib cage.

We stopped walking, extending one open hand out to Error.

 **"It means hand over your arms."**

"Like hell I will!" Error snarled, throwing up his free hand and sending wires flinging out towards us.

We stood there, remaining completely still and letting the wire entangle the soul that burned bright on our chest, wrapping tight and squeezing mercilessly.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Error grinned with a good measure of relief clear in his eyes, a single drop of sweat making it's way down his skull. "You brats talk big but-!"

Error paused suddenly as he watched us reach up just as easily as we would have before our soul was ensnared, wrapping around hand around the five strings that connected our soul to Error.

"W-what?!" The relief disappeared instantly from Error's face, his eye twitching with frustration. "You shouldn't be able to move..!"

We maintained eye contact with Error, a stern frown on our face as our soul flared brightly, and those strings that wrapped around it withered and burned, melting and splatting to the ground as a white gunk.

Error snarled, tugging desperately on the strings that we now restrained him with. We didn't budge however, keeping our grip tight on the strings clenched in our fist.

"Let me go!" Error demanded furiously, continuing to pull his hand back as hard as he could. "Let me go you filthy glitches!"

We didn't speak, instead deciding to just yank our clenched fist back and rip Error off his feet, his eyes going wide with shock as he was pulled right towards us.

Then, with the same fist we held his strings in, we swung forward, ramming our knuckles into the side of his skull and making his eyes go wide, pupils disappearing as a tooth flung from his mouth, along with a stream of blood.

Error was sent firing back away from us, but we just tugged him right back towards us with that string, this time yanking back our knee and ramming that into his rib cage, placing our hand on the back of his head and letting go of those wires to hold him there.

Error grunted and whimpered as we slowly ground our knee against his cracking bones, digits digging desperately into our leg as blood dripped down his chin.

After a moment or two, we let go of Error, and as he dropped towards the ground, we swiftly unbent the knee he'd been pressed against, slamming a kick into his chin and sending him launching into the air on a high arc. He only got about ten feet away from us before he plummeted down to the earth, landing flat on his back and bouncing once.

"Arrogant. Cocky. Hubris-riddled." Our footsteps echoed through the dark as we calmly made our way towards Error, who was grunting as he sat up, holding his chin and panting heavily.

"You were given the chance to leave. To be the bigger person and walk away." We planted one foot on Error's chest, planting him back on the ground and restraining him there with ease. "And what did you do?"

"What you always do, of course." We crossed our arms, staring coldly down at Error, who's sockets widened gradually while we began to apply more and more pressure to his aching core. "Mess with lives. Play a game you don't understand."

 _Crack! Snap!_

Error roared with agony, reaching up and wrapping his digits feebly around our ankle as his ribs gave way under our foot.

"And look where it landed you. Flat on your back, under our shoe." We narrowed our crimson eyes down at Error, who grit his teeth, glaring up at us as blood ran in streams down his chin from his mouth. "Like the filthy little cockroach you are."

"S-shut up!" Error snarled defiantly, digits digging into our ankle. "You have no idea what you're talking about..!"

 _Snap!_

Error roared again, throwing his head back as we applied more pressure to what ribs he had left.

"You will not speak until we give you permission." We spoke through grinding teeth, a flare of anger in our usually deadpan expression.

"You cheated..!" Error continued to protest, desperately trying to push our foot away while he writhed under it. "You cheated!"

Just then, we yanked our foot up and off of him, and his eyes momentarily widened at the sudden relief, just before we planted a kick in his side and sent him rapidly rolling away to our right.

"Agh... Agh..." Error panted pathetically, gradually pushing himself up onto one hand and both knees. He lifted his head, looking to us with a dying fire in his eyes.

"This... This is all your fault..." Error managed to speak as we sauntered closer, one hand over his throbbing rib cage. "You did this to me... You made me like this..."

"There's a _chance_ that it was The Hacker who disfigured you." We agreed, not slowing our approach but not speeding up, either. "But you're the one who decided to make every wrong decision that lead you to now, not him."

"I hate you..." Error lifted one hand out to us, digits trembling as a handful of red, pointed bones appeared around him, flinging out towards us. "I hate you..!"

We easily weaved between the bones, dodging all effortlessly before the final bone flew at us head on, and we clenched our jaw, cocking back one fist and smashing it directly into the oncoming calcium chunk, sending it exploding to crimson splinters.

"Sounds like a you problem." We placed our hands in our pockets, continuing towards Error.

Error growled, before reaching out to his other side. Strings fired from his finger tips, catching on a distant Error Blaster that had apparently just formed before rapidly dragging Error away from us and towards his blaster.

We didn't say a word, remaining emotionless as we bent at the knees, before firing off the ground, launching after Error, who's sockets narrowed with frustration as we rapidly approached him.

The puppeteer shifted his fingers, and his blaster was quick to aim down at us, firing a wave of energy down towards us.

Our frown deepened, and we cocked back one fist, continuing to race ahead as the blast approached. Red flames began to ignite over our arm, and as the light of hellfire washed over us, we threw that flaming fist forward.

Our fist slammed into the wave of magical energy, and the wave of force that the impact brought blasted through the beam, reversing its course and sending it firing right back at the Error Blaster from once it came.

Error's eyes darted in utter shock up to his blaster as it was obliterated, his strings coming loose and sending him skidding to a stop.

 _No..._ Error's eyes were wide as he watched the chunks of his own blaster sprinkle down to the ground, a realization washing over him.

 _"I am setting up something... Enormous in it's entirety." Gaster turned his back to Error, looking into his screen. "I must place all the pieces just right."_

 _"You callin' me a pawn, bud?" A certain threatening tone reflected in Error's glitchy voice, and strings danced on his fingers as he lifted one hand._

Error began crawling back away on his skeletal hands, sweat beading down his skull as errors once more filled his eyes. _No no no..!_

 _"No no, Error, you are a test run!" Gaster grinned excitedly as he suddenly spun back around to face Error, who squinted up at him. "You are a vital leap that my subject must make!"_

 _"... You're all sorts'a loonie." Error's grin widened a little with amusement._

Error trembled violently, watching our form appear over the horizon, crimson eyes locked on to him.

 _"If you destroy the Hacker, then he was not worthy of facing chaos incarnate!" Gaster bent his long body, hands behind his back, looming over Error to get a closer look into his twisted being. "But if the Hacker defeats you, then he is on his way to being **exactly** what I need!" _

_I played right into his hands..._ Error gulped, crawling back pathetically as our hands clenched into fists at our sides, red lightning jumping around our body. _I'm involuntarily sacrificing myself to make this dirty glitch stronger..!_

 _"You know, Wingdingus, I've never lost."_

Error's eyes were wide in horror, trembling violently as we were mere feet from him now, cold dead eyes looking right at him.

 _"Ah ha! But you see, Error, at the end of the day?"_

Error roared with indignation as he pushed himself to his feet and cocked back one fist, throwing it right at our face.

In the blink of an eye our hand was up, wrapped around Error's wrist. Our eyes never left his, and he snarled and trembled with exertion as he tried in vain to pull his arm from our grasp.

A gust of wind.

Error's eye twitched, sweat pouring down his skull now as we stood behind him, now holding back both of his arms and planting a foot on his back.

 _"Neither has Cter."_

"Alright, Error." Our hair fell over our eyes, obscuring them in shadow as a grin slowly made its way up our face.

 **"On a scale of one to ten..."**

* * *

A chuckle echoed through the darkness.

"Perfect! Perfect!" Badster exclaimed excitedly, long body craned over a tear in reality, which clearly displayed Character pulling back on Error's arms agonizingly slowly. "I'm just so proud!"

"While he certainly doesn't possess the raw power of my Anarchist, he makes up for it with such cunning and intellect!" The doctor's face was defined by that crescent smile, elated eyes watching Error's massacre unblinking. "And a fusion like Character! Now that form might hold a candle to Anarchy!"

"... At least," Badster's head swiveled back to look at that green rip in space. The one that had 1s and 0s radiating from it. The one that displayed four children making their way up the steps to the plateau atop the castle. "It will, until Anarchy passes his test."

"Everything is falling into the perfect places." Shadow fell over Badster's eyes, mad grin clear on his face. "The subjects are both reaching their final test."

"Oh, the excitement!" Badster exclaimed, giddily throwing his head back and straightening his spine. "Will they both pass? Will they both fail?"

"Ahh..." Badster closed his sockets, seeming to calm himself with a deep breath. "But now is no time to lose focus."

Badster then turned his body to the shifting timeline of green, looming over it and lifting his hands to it.

His hole punched palms floated over the rift, and a similar emerald glow overtook them.

"Not when I still have a bit of editing to do."

* * *

CORE Frisk gnawed on their thumb nail nervously, pacing back and forth in the blackness of the void. With their omnipresence, they had no need of a portal to see what Character was doing to Error.

This was bad... No, this was terrible!

Cter fused with Chara, the two giving off such a killer aura... Had Cter made his choice? Had he really chosen... _This_?

It's not like C Frisk couldn't see what would be so enticing about this form, at least to people like Cter and Chara. C Frisk was certain the two had no idea that their combined souls would give them this much power.

And they had a hunch the two could become... Fond of such a power.

 _Come on, Cter..!_ C Frisk looked down, one hand behind their back and the other raised so that they could chew on their thumb nail. _Please, tell me I'm wrong!_

* * *

"There was certainly a time when I never would have thought this behavior from The Hacker." Gatherer leaned forward in his desk, resting his elbows on the wood and clasping his hands together under his chin.

"But, I was believing a lie back in those days." Gatherer closed his eyes, and a small smile pulled at his lips. "Feels like ages ago now..."

"Things really have changed, haven't they Hacker?" Gatherer opened his eyes, smirking into the rift that displayed Character brutalizing Error. "It's certainly jarring seeing you be so... Open with your real personality."

"Ahh, poor Error." Gatherer leaned back in his chair, laying his head back far enough for him to see out of the large window that loomed behind him. He reached into his pocket and fished from it a carton of cigarettes and a lighter. "I would say that I didn't expect this to happen, but..."

Hair shadowing his eyes, Gatherer cupped a hand protectively over the cigarette in his mouth as he used that lighter to ignite it.

"If anyone knows just how ruthless The Hacker can be, it would be the man who titled him so."

* * *

"Ohoho shit!" Predator leaned forward in her backwards chair, ice blue eyes going wide as one long strand of black hair fell over her face from the sudden motion. "Angel's a nutjob!"

Predator winced with the sound of a glitching, skipping and pitch shifting scream that came from the rift in reality she stared through. Her face just screamed the words 'That had to hurt!', and as if to confirm this theory, she reached up, rubbing her own shoulders and arms appreciatively, suddenly plagued with thoughts of how awful it would be to lose them.

"Yyyyyyikes!" Predator turned her head away from the screen, but kept one eye glued to it, clearly unable to look away. "This place really changed Angel for keeps!"

"What happened to the funny dork I know and love?" Predator leaned her chin on her fist thoughtfully, looking past the portal then as she was consumed by thoughts and memories.

"Well, I guess somebody like that would never make it in this crazy, twisted up world we're livin' in now..." Predator muttered thoughtfully, eyes drifting to the ceiling.

But to beat someone like Error... Even Predator didn't think she'd win that one v one back when she encountered the freaky little skele, not after what he displayed on those goons in The Rib Cage. That was why she'd sent him Hacker's way in the first place, to give herself more time to get stronger for when Error would inevitably come for her.

But, perhaps that wasn't the only reason. Perhaps she didn't believe she was just tossing Angel under the bus. Perhaps she really did think The Hacker would win a fight that currently, she would not. After all, while yes she knew Angel was a goof and a cynic, that goof and cynic had, when it mattered, displayed testicular fortitude the likes of which she'd never seen before and figured she wouldn't see again for quite some time.

 _Yeah, I guess it's true, though I always hate admitting it..._

 _"... Angel... Am I a bad person..?"_

 _"What..? Where's this comin' from, Lex..?"_

Predator's eyes narrowed painfully up at the ceiling then, and a chill settled over the room.

 _... You always **were** stronger than me, Angel. _

* * *

Error dropped to the ground, writhing in a pathetic pool of sweat, blood, and tears. He didn't have the strength to scream anymore, so instead he lay there, panting and whimpering like some poor animal fresh off of a beating.

"... That's it, then." We dropped those skeletal arms at our sides, and they withered to dust in mid air, floating away in the hollow gusts of the void.

"... K-kill... You..." Was all Error could manage to say, turning his head from the dirt to glare up at us with one eye, from which a stream of blood ran down his cheek.

"Nothing." Our eyes narrowed with disappointment down at Error, watching dust begin to sprinkle from his skull. "All of that, and you learned nothing."

Error just continued to growl hatefully, that single eye boring a hole in us with its hatred.

"We beat you with our bare hands. No magic, no weapon." We shook our head, staring emotionlessly into that furious eye. "There's no outcome here where you survive and kill Hacker. Not one."

"You're... Wrong..." Error trembled violently, his fury the only thing keeping him from dusting completely as more and more silver began to flake from him.

"Goodbye, Error Sans." We turned our back on him quite coldly, and didn't care to look back as we left him there to die. "We hope you use your last moments to rethink your wretched existence."

Our footsteps got further and further away, all while Error's livid eye laid upon our back.

 _How... Dare you..?_ Dust flaking from it's socket, Error's eye twitched angrily. _How dare you..?!_

 _It wasn't..! Supposed to be like this!_ Error kicked his one responding leg in a desperate attempt to get to his numb feet. _I was supposed to kill you for what you did..!_

 _You cheated..!_ Error managed to slide his face through the pool of his own blood that had formed under him, using what energy he had to grind his teeth and make more blood seep from between them. _You cheated!_

 _Everything!_ Error's vision grew blurry, and he blinked his eye, releasing a stream of desperate tears down his flaky cheek. _It's all your fault! You ruined everything! You took everything from me!_

 _I-...! I was supposed to..._ Error's expression softened with a different kind of pain, and more tears of indignation began to stream from his socket. _... I was supposed to win, not you..._

 _I-... I was the good guy this time... I should have won..._ Error let his head fall limp into the blood below him, sockets clenching shut tight as tears now poured pathetically down his face.

 _I_d_o_n_'_t_w_a_n_t_t_o_d_i_e_._._._

"Alas, poor Yorick!"

Error's eyes suddenly found the will to reopen themselves as the armless puppeteer felt a hand be placed under his chin, lifting his head and arching his body - or, what was left of it - up with it.

"I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." Gatherer posed in an almost Shakespearean manner as he lifted Error's skull in his hand, placing his other hand over his chest and looking into the distance.

After a moments pause, The Gatherer's eyes landed back on Error's, which now glared at him wrathfully, even with the tear stains and blood upon his face.

"Hamlet, act five, scene one." An absolutely devilish smile crept over Gatherer's face. "Apologies, I just couldn't resist the opportunity."

The right half of Error's face began to droop some as Gatherer held him up in one hand, the puppeteer at yet another filthy glitch's mercy.

"I watched your ba-..." Gatherer paused, eyes glossing to the side thoughtfully. "Well, less a battle and more an absolute stomp that second half."

Error managed one pathetic growl, earning a laugh from Gatherer.

"It's saddening to see someone once so strong and confident crumble to dust." Gatherer nodded towards Error's drooping and flaking right eye.

Error couldn't form any words, barely managing to keep his heavy sockets open to glare hatefully into the interested eyes of the Gatherer.

"I've been right where you are, you know." Gatherer's eyes narrowed then, one small, chilling smile forming on his face as shadows slipped along his features. "Weak, desperate, cowering..."

"With that one single thought on my mind." Gatherer tilted his head slightly to the side, his voice lowering darkly. He nearly whispered:

 _ **"I don't want to die."**_

Error's sockets narrowed, his jaw clenching.

"That's what you're thinking, right?" Gatherer's expression lightened, and he smirked that convincing smirk of his. "Well don't worry Error, you aren't going to die."

"You see, I am called The Gatherer for a reason." Gatherer shrugged casually. "I see value where others do not."

"Those who are cast aside, thrown away like worthless garbage..." Gatherer's eyes glimmered maliciously. "I can often find good use in that special kind of trash."

"And you..." Gatherer's lips curled up into a grin that was less than befitting of his charismatic persona. "My, what a lucky find!"

"So don't fear, Error." Gatherer tilted his head to the side, reaching up with his free hand and gently rubbing his knuckles against Error's fragile cheek, like one would do to a beloved animal. "You're not going to die."

 **"Because I've got _big_ plans for you." **

* * *

"It's time, Cter."

"... I know."

The two of us stood there, in the very same mindscape I'd once defeated Chara in. We were seemingly right back in that moment, and I was once again presented with that choice.

"Look at how strong we are together, Cter." Chara grinned, clenching a hand into a fist in front of themself. "We crushed Error like he was nothing! Who could stop us when we are together? Who?"

"Nobody comes to mind." I shrugged in casual agreement.

" _Exactly_!" Chara exclaimed, taking an excited step forward. "With that kind of power, everything we've ever wanted would be ours!"

"..." My eyes glossed to the side hesitantly. "... Almost everything."

Chara was almost taken aback by that comment, their eyes narrowing and that hopeful expression disappearing.

"What, you mean _them_?" Chara asked incredulously, a sudden aggravation in their tone. "The fair-weather 'friends' who will toss you aside the moment they don't have a use for you?"

"And what will you do?" I squinted at them, a sternness entering my tone. "The same thing you did to Frisk?"

"You could not _possibly_ be comparing yourself to Frisk right now!" Chara snapped irritably. "Frisk was a pawn! A weak vessel that I had to use under desperate circumstances!"

"But _you_ , Cter... You're so much different!" Chara took a step closer. I didn't step back.

"You aren't a pawn. No, you're too strong to ever let yourself become such a thing. That's why I would never try to make you one." Chara glared, clearly infuriated by my lack of understanding. "No, you aren't like Frisk. You aren't like anyone else, Cter."

"You understand that there are only two things in this world." A grin slowly peeled up Chara's face as they stepped closer. "Strength, and weakness."

"That's what you were talking about back then, wasn't it Cter?" Chara tilted their head to the side, grin on their face all too knowing. "That is the truth you were rambling about before you began taking our battle seriously."

 _"Do **you** know the truth, Chara? Could you ever **possibly** understand?" _

"Well I _do_ understand, Cter." My eyes narrowed at their words, but I remained silent as they stepped even closer, staring right up at me as they were now invading my personal space. "And I'm the only other person who does."

*They make a good point.

"Strength is all that matters, isn't it?!" Chara snapped, reaching up and grabbing me be the shirt, clenching a fist around the fabric. "Well together we're stronger than anyone else!"

"We can defeat anyone and everyone, Cter!" Chara threw their free hand out to the side. "Are you really going to throw all this power away for some replaceable monsters copy pasted a billion times over the multiverse?!"

"..." I looked away from them, eyes squinting painfully down at our shoes. For some reason, these words almost felt hard to say. Maybe it was indecision, how a part of me really did enjoy the thought of waging war on the multiverse as this incredibly powerful... _Thing_ we were together.

Or, maybe...

 _THUNK._

 _My eyes went wide, darting to the ink that had fired from my sleeve against my will, and then to the chest it'd stabbed clean through._

 _Chara went limp, only held up by the spike of ink that fired through their chest, which their trembling red eyes slowly settled on. Blood poured down their chin, and ran in streams down the ink._

 ** _I don't want this._**

 _And then, just as Chara looked up, their agonized eyes locking with mine, my fist clenched on it's own, and the ink spike exploded out into more spikes, turning Chara into a pin cushion from the inside out._

 _"AAAAGH!"_

Maybe it was the alternative that I was afraid of.

I nearly shivered with disgust at the haunting memory of that nightmare.

"What are you so afraid of, Cter?" Chara lowered their voice, regaining my attention and bringing my gaze back to theirs. "Why are you fighting me so hard on this?"

"..." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before I exhaled. Then I reopened my eyes, and looked back into theirs. "I'm sorry Chara."

Chara's expression twitched with some withheld emotion at my words, before they growled, letting go of my shirt and stepping back.

"So that's it, then." They frowned deeply, taking a few more steps back. "You'd rather fight me to the death one last time than take this golden opportunity."

*You're an idiot for passing this up.

"I don't wanna fight you, either." I confessed calmly, and they were once more taken aback.

"Well..! Too bad!" Chara suddenly reached out with the same hand I'd shaken back in Waterfall. "We had a deal. I held up my end and you _will_ hold up yours, or else those friends of yours are going to pay dearly."

"... Yeah, I know." I stuffed my hands into my pockets and turned my head to look out at the sea of memories that floated around us.

"... Lets head back. I know where to finish this."

* * *

"But, wait a moment..." Toriel furrowed her brows, looking around the barrier room - which was now just a room room - with confusion. "Something is amiss..."

"Yo, where's Cter?" Monster Kid looked around, confusion overtaking his expression.

Frisk grimaced as they watched their friends search desperately for the MIA Cter, having put together a theory the moment they found themself utterly Cterless in the battle with Asriel. Error had come at the worst possible time, and Cter was the only one Gaster had been able to grab. It was the only thing that made sense.

Sans, Frisk, and Grillby all exchanged similar "Uh oh" glances, and Frisk guessed they'd all came to the same conclusion.

"Hey, uh, me Grillby and the kid'll go look for him." Sans was quick to say, pointing over his shoulder towards the exit leading back to the Underground with his thumb. "You guys should just stay here in case he comes back."

"But, Sans-"

Before Papyrus had the time to interject, Sans was anxiously herding Frisk and Grillby together.

"No worries bro." Sans grinned a little too wide, cold sweat making its way down his skull. "I know a shor-"

"Not necessary, Sans."

Everyone's eyes darted to me as I put one foot through a portal, stepping into the room. I had myself under an unconscious Gaster's shoulder, arm wrapped around his waist to hold him steady.

My expression was tired, clothes dirty and torn in a few spots. Most noticeably my sweatshirt, which had been made into a T-sweatshirt via one of Error's blasters when I blocked the beam not too long before forming Character.

But, despite how exhausted I looked, I gave a pretty convincing smile.

"Gaster!" Sans rushed to my side, taking Gaster from my arm and gently setting him on the floor. He looked up to me, "Is he..?"

"He should be alright." I raised a hand to dismiss all worries, Frisk racing up to meet me as well. "Just a little fatigue."

"Cter..." Frisk leaned in some, almost whispering but not quite. "Did you two actually..?"

"That would be 'you three', actually."

Frisk's eyes went wide at the sound of that voice, and the pupils disappeared from Sans sockets. The two slowly turned their heads to the portal, Frisk trembling and Sans clenching his hands into fists.

"Can you hurry up whatever this is, Cter?" Chara stepped one foot through the portal, reaching out and resting their hand on the side of it as if they were leaning out through a window. "You know I'm not very patient."

"You..." Sans looked up from Gaster, who he was knelt next to, pupilless eyes glaring at Chara.

"... Chara..." Frisk stared unblinking, taking a single step back as Chara finished stepping through the portal, which closed behind them.

"It's nice to see you all again." Chara grinned devilishly, giving a two fingered wave. "I've missed you so very much."

"Yo, am I missing something..?" Monster Kid leaned over towards Mettaton, eyes not leaving Chara. "I've uh... I've never seen this person in my life."

"Me neither." Mettaton narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and with concern. "Humans don't just... Suddenly appear in the Underground."

"Especially not ones that claims to know us." Undyne growled, eye glaring right at Chara as she took a step forward, putting one arm up defensively between the three humans and two skeletons and her friends.

"Hello!" Papyrus stepped forward, smiling brightly. "It's nice to see you again too, person that I've never met!"

Chara chuckled some at that, crossing their arms over their chest. As Papyrus attempted to walk closer, however, Sans disappeared with Gaster and reappeared at his brother's side, putting a hand out in front of him.

"Don't go near them!" Sans ordered with a startling amount of volume and authority, making every one of the monsters look to him in shock.

"Sans, what are you doing?" Papyrus furrowed his brow bones, looking down to Sans with confusion and concern. "You're being very rude!"

"Kid, what the _hell_ is going on?" Sans' sockets landed on me, narrowing with a mixed bag of shitty emotions.

"Just holdin' up my end'a the deal, Sans." Once again I raised a calming hand, all eyes landing on me. "They helped me beat Error, now I'm gonna go fight them to the death."

"W-what..?" Monster Kid took a step forward, dread falling over his expression. "What do you mean fight to the death..? Who is that?"

"What are you talking about, fight to the death?!" Undyne stomped closer. She attempted to look stern, but I could see a nervous sweat breaking out on her forehead. "And who the heck is Error?!"

" _Was_ Error." Chara corrected again, closing their eyes for a moment and chuckling some. "Perhaps I can shed some light."

"You see, someone very strong was coming to kill you all." Further confusion and fear spread with those words. "And Cter wanted my help to stop him, to stop Error."

"I was reluctant at first." Chara shrugged and glanced off to the side, before smirking once more, eyes darting back to the Monsters. "But Cter made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"His life," Chara pointed lazily to me, before drifting their hand over to the Monsters. "In exchange for yours."

"What..?" Papyrus spoke under his breath, confusion overtaking his features.

"B-but who _are_ you?!" Alphys dared ask, gathering all of her nerve to do so.

"... C-Chara..."

Everyone's eyes darted back to the stunned goat monsters that stood in the back of the crowd, making their way forward on weak legs.

"Bingo." Chara grinned at that, pointing to the two with a finger gun.

"But... I don't understand..." Asgore's head lowered, and he slowly shook it back and forth. "You... You were..."

"Dead? Deceased? Worm food? Pushing up golden flowers?" Chara raised their eyebrows, leaning their head forward some. "Yes, I was. But with a little DETERMINATION, anything is possible."

"Y-you... You've returned to us..." Tears filled Toriel's eyes as she took another step closer.

" _No I haven't_."

Chara lowered their head, teeth grinding as they suddenly pointed that knife out towards the stunned goat royalty.

"I did not come back for you, or Asgore, or any of you other misfits!" Chara looked up, right eye glowing a piercing red from under the shadow of their hair.

"I have returned for one person and one person alone." Chara moved their arm then, pointing that knife out towards me. "Cter The Hacker."

Suddenly, Frisk stepped between that blade and me, snarling viciously and steeling their nerves before Chara.

"Well you can't have him." Frisk spoke through grinding teeth, Worn Dagger appearing in their hand.

"Really? _You_?" Chara laughed with genuine amusement, shaking their head. "Step aside Frisk, you don't have a chance of stopping me."

"I'll kill you a billion times if I have to, Chara!" Frisk snapped, DETERMINATION glimmering in their wide eyes as they smacked the arm pointing that knife at them aside.

"Cter saved me from you! He gave me a chance when no one else would!" Frisk placed both hands on the pummel of their blade, holding it up threateningly to Chara. "I'm not gonna let you or anyone else hurt him!"

"Frisk."

Frisk looked to their shoulder with trembling eyes as I placed my hand on it, before shaking their head violently.

"Don't try to stop me, Cter!" Frisk ground their teeth, even as water began to form in their eyes at what they knew was inevitable. "I'm not gonna let them hurt anyone anymore! Especially not you!"

I closed my eyes thoughtfully, taking a deep breath. "... Frisk, please."

"Just let me do this for you!" Frisk snapped, spinning around to face me as tears spilled over from their eyes.

After a moment of staring desperately in my emerald eyes, they lowered their head, dagger trembling in their hands.

"Frisk..."

"... P-please..."

More tears hit the ground as Frisk kept their head down, now trembling violently. "... Please don't go..."

I didn't say anything. I just stepped forward and opened my arms, hugging Frisk to my chest comfortingly.

They clung to me, sobbing into my shirt for seconds that felt like hours.

"Frisk..." I closed my eyes, slowly pulling one fist back, tight to my side.

"Thank you."

Frisk's eyes widened with sudden pain, their face going pale before their knees buckled and they slumped against me. Slowly, their eyes closed.

I gradually dropped to my knees with them, holding them tightly in my arms. Then, after a deep breath, I reopened my eyes, and gently set them on the floor on their back.

I smiled sadly down at their surprisingly peaceful unconscious form, gently brushing a strand of hair out of their face. "... Goodbye."

"Yo, w-why'd you do that, Cter?!" Monster Kid shouted, concern in his eyes as I turned to him. "Why are you doing any of this?!"

"Monster Kid... You, might not remember, but..." I glanced to the side, blinking my tired eyes. "... You're my best friend, and..."

"Yeah of course I remember! You're my best friend too!" Monster Kid stomped forward, speaking like it was obvious.

My eyes darted to Monster Kid, going wide in utter shock. I suddenly found a lump very apparent in my throat, a realization coming over me.

 _"Promise me that we'll be best friends again!"_

I... I kept my promise.

That felt... Really nice. In a way that I can't quite describe.

"... And that's why I have to do this for you." I looked back to Monster Kid, hands clenching into fists at my sides. "Because you're my best friend, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

"..." Pain appeared in Monster Kid's eyes with the realization that he wouldn't be stopping me. "Cter..."

"Speed it up, Cter." Chara rolled their eyes, tapping their foot impatiently.

"... Right." I looked over to them, waving towards the opening in the room that lead to the surface. "Lets get going."

Chara and I began walking through the cave towards the light at the end. It wasn't until we had just made our way to that end that Undyne raced forward, spear manifesting in her hand.

"If you really think we're just gonna sit back and let you-!"

THUD.

Undyne's face bounced off seemingly nothing but shimmering air, and she recoiled, her one eye snapping open wide as she pressed her hands against a wall all too familiar.

"Hey, what the-?!" Undyne mashed the side of her face against the invisible force keeping her from joining Chara and I on the surface. "What is this?!"

"Cter, what did you just do?!" Toriel stepped forward, panic quick to rise in her voice.

"It's a temporary barrier." I spoke, only for Undyne to slam her fist against it, making ripples spread through the air. But the barrier held.

"Barrier?!" Undyne snapped, furious eye landing on me.

" _Temporary_ barrier." I corrected emotionlessly. "It'd take about seven a' me to make a permanent one. This one will last _maybe_ a day, and DETERMINED humans can pass right through it."

"But why would you-?!"

"So none of you get yourselves hurt for me!" I suddenly snapped, lowering my head and gritting my teeth.

Everyone was taken aback by my words, recoiling visibly.

"... I'm not worth it..." I nearly whispered, jaw unclenching and eyes narrowing painfully at the ground.

"Cter... It is true that I do not fully understand what is going, and that I haven't known you for very long and do not know everything about you." Papyrus stepped forward, and I looked up with that same pain reflecting in my eyes to see the concern in his expression. "But I do know that you are my friend, and that I have full faith in you to do what is right."

"So whatever you are going through now, I just want you to know!" Papyrus grinned then, reaching out and gently placing a hand on the barrier between us, reaching up with his free hand and giving a thumbs up.

"I believe in you!"

 _"I... Believe... In you..!"_

My eyes went wide, and I stared at Papyrus, the memory of him dying in my arms flashing before my retinas.

I blinked away the memory and took a step forward, reaching out and placing my hand on the barrier as well, looking up to Papyrus.

"Papyrus, I know you don't remember, but... I really let you down once." I didn't look away from Papyrus, even as confusion overtook his expression. "I screwed up big and you got hurt because of it."

"... A lot of people have ended up that way because of me..." My eyes fell to the floor, hand clenching slowly into a fist against the barrier of my own creation. "But, you... You still smiled at me."

"You, smiled at me, and, as you were dying..." I lifted my head, looking back into Papyrus's eyes. "You told me you believed in me."

"Papyrus, if it wasn't for that, if it wasn't for you, I..." I shook my head slowly. "I wouldn't be the person I am now. I wouldn't be able to make the right choice now."

"So, I guess what I'm trying to say is..." I lifted my head, smiling lightly up at the tall skeleton across the barrier. "Thank you, Papyrus. You're my hero."

Papyrus was taken aback, but his face lit up at me calling him my hero. It felt nice, making him happy. Felt right.

"Cter." Chara crossed their arms impatiently behind me, and I narrowed my eyes over my shoulder at them before looking back to the monsters across the barrier.

"Just one more thing." I took a step back from the barrier, which all my friends now stood on the other side of, apart from the unconscious Frisk and Gaster. "I've... Lied to all of you."

"What..?" Monster Kid tilted his head to the side, confusion on his face.

"Cter... Isn't my real name." I explained, looking to the side to evade all the surprised gazes. "I made it up when I decided to try to be better, because, well..."

"I... Didn't like who I was before all this. I couldn't stand to be that person anymore." I reached up, awkwardly placing a hand on the back of my head and keeping my eyes to the side. "And I uh... I guess I thought a name change would help."

"My real name..." I lowered my head, shadows falling over my eyes as I pulled my tattered sweatshirt from myself, throwing it aside while a burning red soul appeared on my chest.

The monsters were stunned, however, when I white outline formed around the edges of my soul, shinning white like the outline of an eclipse.

 **"Is Angel."**

I looked up at the sea of shocked expressions, and grinned in a way only I could as I gave a two fingered wave, two streams of ink firing out from my back and over Chara's head, sticking into the earth of the plateau outside the exit of the Underground.

"See you guys around."

There was a stunned gasp at my show of magic, but I yanked myself away from the barrier on those ink spikes before I could receive the barrage of questions that was sure to come.

"... So. Angel." Chara smirked lightly as they walked out from the overhang into the light of the plateau as well. "A little on the nose, don't you think?"

"Take it up with my parents." I shrugged, returning their smirk.

"Well, 'Angel', are you ready to make this fight official?" Chara grinned, summoning their SAVE FILE at their side.

"Aww, and here I thought you'd jump at the opportunity to fight me for all of time again." I grinned mockingly, summoning my own SAVE FILE at my side. It, like Chara's, was a 2 dimensional square with multiple different lines of information on it, such as when and where I'd last saved.

"Not this time, Cter." Chara shook their head gently. "I'm afraid I have more to do after you're gone."

With that, the two of us lifted one arm and, in sync, threw it out towards the file, shattering our fists through our respective saves.

"The game is for keeps now." Chara grinned wickedly, blackness creeping into the whites of their eyes.

"..." Not seeming to be listening, I shoved my hands in my pockets and let my eyes drift to the overcast sky. Lightning crackled across the dark clouds, before thunder boomed.

Then, I looked over my shoulder to the sun that set in the distance, sending beautiful pinks and oranges out over the clouds. A surprisingly beautiful look for what was sure to be a nasty storm.

"... I had a nightmare like this once." I looked back to Chara, turning my body to face them.

Chara's eyes narrowed suspiciously at my words, but just like last time they tilted their head to the side inquisitively. "And how'd it end?"

Shadow fell over my eyes, and I frowned suddenly, throwing my hand out to the side as lightning struck over the horizon behind me. Droplets of rain began to fall, just a few at a time but quickly picking up in numbers. Ink swirled out from under my T-shirt's sleeve and into my grasp, forming that same thin, double-sided spear I'd made at the beginning of my last showdown with Chara.

 **"I killed you."**

* * *

 **Alright, so I know an update on a Thursday is certainly out of the ordinary, but since the next three chapters are the end of Cter's side of this arc, and I'm very excited to write them, I think I'm going to try to update every four days! After chapter 21 I'll likely go back to the regular schedule, but for this chapter and these next chapters I'm very very very excited to see what you guys think, so I would very much appreciate your review! It will certainly help me stay motivated to write more and update faster. Thank you, and have a nice day!**

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	19. Chapter 19: Til Death Do Us Part

**Here I am, four days just like I said!**

 **Thanks go to cassianaswindell123, BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, Zack Frost, BonelessSkele, Alrarora, Gray Kanzakai, 10burgers, I'mANervousWreck, and Okami Endless.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _"... You."_

 _"It's been a long time, runt. You've certainly grown from the little punk I left in the rain."_

 _"..." Cold emerald eyes blinked slowly, without worry or fear. The two stood ten feet apart, the light of day just starting to dim as night drew ever closer. They were in a field of wheat, off from the roads and hidden away from whomever may be chasing each of them respectively._

 _"What are you doing here?" Angel didn't waste time and didn't take those icy eyes from his killer, his arms hanging limp and casually at his sides._

 _"I came to congratulate you, my little Angel." He smiled, ivory hair falling over his face as he tilted his head to the side. The crimson eyes of The Killer settled upon Angel, and he did not flinch. "I was just too proud not to."_

 _"I mean, tossing all your friends to the hounds, using them until they served no more purpose and then lining your pockets with their blood!" The Killer laughed, eyes wide with disbelief as he threw his hands out to the sides. "You've become so perfectly RUTHLESS!"_

 _Angel didn't talk, and his expression remained unmoved as he was praised by his Killer._

 _"For awhile there I thought it would be my son to ascend, but even as a crowbar swinging maniac he isn't **half** the sociopath you are." The Killer grinned with sharp teeth, those murderous red eyes only half way open. _

_"... You're Anthony's dad." Angel concluded, thought there wasn't a lick of surprise - or, anything at all - on his face._

 _"Duh." The Killer rolled his eyes. "How many other albinos have you seen wandering around that shit hole city?"_

 _"Well. It's just you now." Angel blinked without care, and a grin tore across The Killer's face._

 _"Yes, this is what I was talking about!" He gestured with one hand towards Angel excitedly. " **Those** are the eyes of a cold blooded killer!" _

_"Anthony was just too sweet as a child. Even after he took up the Anarchy persona he still remembered what it was like to love someone." The Killer shook his head with disappointment, before grinning wickedly at Angel. "But you, Angel..."_

 ** _"You've never really cared about anyone, have you?"_**

 _"You're wrong."_

 _The Killer furrowed his brows with sudden confusion. "What?"_

 _"I cared about one person." Angel spoke calmly and emotionlessly, even as he swiftly reached to his back pocket, pulled a pistol free, cocked it, and pointed it right at The Killer in one swift motion._

 _"And you killed her."_

 _BANG._

 _"Guh..!" The Killer stumbled back, jaw clenching and eye twitching as he grabbed his now bleeding shoulder. His eyes darted from his new wound back to Angel, and he took a step back._

 _"N-now you see, this is what I saw in you Angel." The Killer spoke, though cold sweat was now beading down his forehead. "You're so-!"_

 _"Shut up."_

 _BANG._

 _The Killer grunted with pain, eyes snapping open wide as a bullet punched through his leg, making him drop down to one knee before Angel._

 _"So what..? You're gonna kill me..?" The Killer smiled a pained and yet chaotic smile. "Good, that's what I wanted, anyway."_

 _Angel didn't speak, he just began walking across the field towards his victim._

 _"This world **needs** people like us to keep it turning, Angel." Now panting, The Killer smirked weakly up at his approaching murderer. "Sheep must be herded and slaughtered, otherwise they'll waste all of our air." _

_"I saw potential in you." The Killer looked up, Angel now looming over him. "I knew you could be strong, and I knew you could understand the truth of this world. That's why I spared you."_

 _"Should'a killed me." Angel stared down at The Killer, his shadow stretching wickedly over his victim. He lifted the barrel to The Killer's face, pressing it right at the center of his forehead and keeping their eyes locked together. "You would've lived longer."_

 _"Then go on brat." The Killer's eyes absolutely lit up, and he pressed his skull against that barrel. "Look me in the eye and pull the goddamn trigger."_

 _Angel's eyes narrowed then, his jaw clenching._

 _"Come on!" The Killer laughed, madness flaring in his eyes. "It's what someone Strong would do! It's what I would do!"_

 ** _"And it's what the little old lady couldn't do!"_**

 _Angel snarled and yanked that gun back before swinging it, smashing it's barrel against the side of The Killer's head and sending him falling onto his back._

 _"Who do you think you are?" Angel demanded to know, his fury now evident in his voice._

 _"Maybe I'm God, maybe I'm the Devil." The Killer smiled wickedly, even as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "I watch over you either way, my sweet little Angel."_

 _BANG. BANG._

 _The Killer hacked crimson into the air as two holes were punched in his stomach, facial expression twisting with agony._

 _"Well," Angel leaned down over him, and an honest smile crept along his face as he put that pistol's barrel to The Killer's forehead once again. "You die like you're human. Crazy how that works, ain't it, asshole?"_

 _"G-go ahead, Angel..." The Killer winced, streams of red overflowing from between his lips. "Kill me, and become me. Separate yourself from the weak, and make them fear your strength and pray for your death..."_

 _"No one will mourn you little Angel. Your fate will be sealed... You'll be **just like me**..." _

_Angel looked the Killer right in the dying light of his eyes, his emerald irises dull and lifeless, entirely lacking any remorse or hesitation._

 _"I don't give a damn. You killed my Granny."_

 ** _BANG._**

 **Chapter 19: Til Death Do Us Part**

 _"I'm not gonna forgive you for this."_

* * *

"WE'LL SEE!"

I tilted my head to the side suddenly, Chara's knife soaring over my left shoulder while I cocked back my right fist, our eyes locking for a split second before they lifted their forearm, blocking my punch with it and flipping their blade - which was still behind me - back to face the back of my head.

I ducked under their stab back at me, quickly jabbing at their abdomen with my ink spear, only for them to jump back out of range.

As Chara jumped back, their eyes darted up to the two Beat Blasters that appeared above and narrowed. They landed on one foot as the beams fired, only to jump back again and land on their hands, springing from those while white beams of energy chased after them.

As they neared the ground from springing from their hands, a portal opened below them, and they dropped right through.

I instinctively spun around and brought up one arm, blocking the kick that they fired through a portal above me with. Chara grinned down at me, and I glared coldly back up at them before throwing the arm they were planted on up and tossing them back through the air. Without skipping a beat, I cocked back my spear and whipped it at their face, only for them to tilt their head at the last second.

The spear fired right by their cheek, slicing it open and sending a single stream of red running down the side of their face. I didn't hesitate from there, shifting my hand and sending ink firing up over my arm and out at Chara. The ink wrapped around their waist, and I yanked my hand back, pulling them back towards me.

I threw up my forearm as they threw their knee forward, and the collision sent a shock wave bursting across the ground that surrounded us. Chara yanked their knife back over their head as both my arms were preoccupied, but that scorpion tail of ink fired up from my tail bone and collided with their blade, making their teeth grind with exertion as they tried to power past my defenses.

Suddenly I threw my ink coated arm out to the side, dragging them through the air and sending them slamming face down onto the ground. I spun then so that my back was to them, and threw my hand forward, yanking them up through the air and sending them soaring into the sky, where my ink released them.

Chara launched rapidly towards one of the high peaks of Mount Ebbot, and they spun in air, grinding their teeth from the force they landed feet first against the peak at, crouching before launching right back down at me.

I threw back one hand and clenched it into a fist, making four pens appear at my sides. I threw my arm forward, and the pens launched at Chara, who spun like a drill in air and shot between the four, racing down towards me.

I threw my arms up in an X, and their Tough Glove covered fist slammed into where my forearms met at the center of the X. I ground my teeth, sliding back across the ground while Chara still spun like a drill against me, twisting and tearing the skin off my arms while gradually slowing to a stop.

Chara dropped back to their feet, and swiftly jumped back away from me as pens fired from the earth where they'd been.

My eyes narrowed down at my now bleeding forearms, but I merely threw them out to my sides and flicked away the blood streaming down them while simultaneously summoning three mechanical pencils, one over each shoulder and one above my head.

Chara jumped to the side to evade pens that jutted from the earth under them, before rolling forward to evade the enormous pencil eraser that fired down from above to crush them. The moment that they climbed to their feet, however, they were forced to duck, a bolt of graphite firing over them and sticking into the pencil that their back was against.

They slashed a second bolt to shards as they stood back to their full height, but winced from the plume of grey smoke that broke from the graphite, obscuring their vision for only a moment but a moment long enough for the third bolt to fire through their shoulder, making their eyes snap open wide as they were sent stumbling back.

I fired through the smoke in the next instant with a left hook cocked back, teeth grinding and crimson beginning to steam from my knuckles just as I threw my fist forward, slamming it into the side of their face and knocking them off their feet. I carried them on my fist into the pencil behind them, which shattered under the force and, right after we launched through it, plummeted towards the earth and crashed loudly to the ground, sending smoke blasting up around us as I launched Chara into the distance.

Chara slammed onto the ground on their back and skidded through the dirt for a few moments. They snarled with fury while they slid, swiftly reaching up and gripping the spike of graphite that had penetrated their shoulder and - without a moments hesitation - tore it from their flesh, sending blood splattering across the grass and making their eyes widen with pain that they refused to let bother them.

I stared into the smoke that surrounded from the impact of that pencil with narrowed eyes, palms open at my sides as I awaited any sign of-

"That all you got, Hacker?!"

my eyes locked on to the Toy Knife that fired from the smoke at a shocking speed, and my face tightened with pain as it buried itself in my right shoulder, making my eyes dart to the new wound while I stumbled back, just as they dove through the smoke, rapidly closing the distance between us.

I growled, lifting my good arm and sending ink launching down my it and spiking out at Chara, who side stepped it and cocked back their only functioning arm, smashing one Gloved fist into my cheek, making my eyes snap shut on reflex while I stumbled to the side.

Chara spun through their punch, jumping up and kicking at the side of my face as ballet shoes appeared on their feet.

I lifted my forearm and their shin slammed into it, the shoe knife of those ballet shoes inches from the side of my head. I glared up at Chara, and they snarled, that revolver appearing in their grasp and those ballet shoes disappeared.

As Chara aimed down at me, I reached up with my right hand and gripped the Toy Knife was embedded in my right shoulder, tearing it free and throwing it up at them just as they fired.

The both of us fell backwards away from one another, knife stabbing into their chest and bullet blasting through mine, but we both caught ourselves on our hands and back flipped away from one another just as a Beat Blaster fired from above and sent its beam exploding into the earth where we had just been, launching more dust into the air.

I landed behind what remained of my fallen pencil, gritting my blood stained teeth and grabbing at the hole in the right side of my chest with one hand, my other opening it's palm to the sky and summoning a slice of cinnamon butterscotch pie from my inventory.

*You have to do better. You can't afford a stalemate here.

"Yeah, I know, I know!" I assured with frustration, before viciously biting into the slice of pie, stuffing it into my mouth and violently chewing and swallowing it. If nothing else, I'd certainly learned speed eating down here.

I took a moment to close my eyes and tilt my head back against the fallen pillar of pencil I leaned against, inhaling slowly and exhaling in the same manner while my torn arms, punctured shoulder and - as they eloquently put in my home town - gatted chest sealed and healed.

*Well, if you're lucky, Chara didn't have any healing items and is currently di-

"Get out here, Cter! I know you aren't dead!"

*Should've thrown the stupid knife at their stupid head.

"Was aimin' for it." I explained as I stood, looking over the pencil I'd been up against out to the plain of scorched earth that our arena was quickly becoming, eyes narrowing as I spotted Chara standing across the way, crossing their arms impatiently. "It kinda goofs your shot when someone puts a bullet in your chest."

 _"Chara's Theme [Megalo Strike Back]" NITRO Remix V2_ by _Nick Nitro_ began playing.

Rain was pouring now, beating down the smoke that surrounded us and creating a clear mist at our feet. It matted our hair to our foreheads, our shirts to our chests. Ran in streams over our skin, washing blood stains away.

We stood there, thirty feet apart and staring at one another while sheets of precipitation crashed down, lightning flickering throughout the sky and thunder booming in our ears.

Lightning crashed to the earth between us, a sudden and brutal flash that neither of us flinched from. And the moment it faded, Chara was blasting through the steam and smoke of it's arrival, yanking their knife back for a stab.

I swiftly brushed their arm aside with my forearm, cocking back my other fist and throwing it at their face, only for them to catch it in the palm of their free hand and swing up so that their legs were facing me. They pulled their knees to their chest before shotgunning a kick towards my chest, only for an L key to appear between their kick and my chest, resulting in them kicking off of the key and back flipping through the air, landing on their feet and quickly ducking as I threw out one arm, sending a spike of ink firing over their head.

They launched forward with a slash, but I ducked back, placing both hands on the ground behind me and flipping back, an eraser shooting up from the ground where I'd been at Chara in that instant and forcing them to throw their arms up in an X to block as it smashed into them and carried them up into the air.

I landed on my feet just to jump up onto the pencil that Chara was riding into the sky against their will, sprinting up it's diagonal arc towards the top.

Chara growled, just managing to claw one hand onto the wood of the pencil and get themself from the eraser when they spotted the Beat Blaster floating over head, and instantly frowned with irritation.

Chara was blasted from the pencil and sent launching head first towards the earth when I dove from the end of the pencil, throwing ink out and connecting it to the eraser, using it to swing down towards them.

Chara managed to open one eye, spotting me and glaring while I swung down at them, leading with one knee, my right arm up in the air and wrapped in the ink that connected me to that pencil. They threw up their arms and blocked my knee, teeth grinding with exertion before the force sent them blasting back through the air and exploding into a peak across the way, dust bursting out from the collision.

I slowly descended on that whip of ink, which receded back up my arm once my feet touched the ground.

*Did you get them?

"If Chara's gonna die it's gonna be where I can see it." I blinked calmly into the smoke. "They're alive."

As if to instantly prove this theory, several round of DETERMINATION bullets fired from the smoke, and I threw up one hand, a wall of keys appearing and blocking the barrage.

My eyes widened over my shoulder however when I heard a portal open there, and pain tore across my back in the form of a knife, making me arch my spine and cry out in agony while blood splattered across the ground.

Chara grinned wickedly, black filling their eyes and leaking down their cheek as they yanked back that knife for a stab, only for me to drop down onto my hands, their knife sailing through nothing but air while I pulled both knees to my chest, standing on my hands.

Their eyes widened down at me.

I smiled.

I slammed both feet into their chin and sent them sailing back through the air while I sprung back on my feet and back flipped from there, launching over them and cocking back one fist. I slammed a punch into their abdomen and sent them crashing back to the earth, which indented under them while their jaws snapped open with the wind that blasted out of their lungs.

Panting, I landed on my feet just a few yards from Chara's crater, which they hopped right out of, one hand over where I'd punched them and a stream of red running down their chin.

"I can't help but notice," Chara reached up, wiping the blood from their chin with the back of their fist while they glared at me. "You're throwing a lot more punches than you are pens."

"You've spent a life time and a half dodging magic, Chara. You've gotten real good at it." A smirk found itself on my lips as I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, my soul flaring brightly. "Fists, on the other hand..."

"Not so sure you wanna keep getting so close." Chara grinned, a stream of black running down from the corner of their mouth. "Why don't you consult your back?"

My eyes narrowed, suddenly very aware of the oozing slash across my back and all of the agony that it screamed with.

I snarled, stomping one foot and sending pens spiking out in a line from the ground towards Chara, who jumped over the pens and spun down towards me with that knife, only for me to jump back. They landed on their feet and lunged out towards me, leading with their knife, which I ducked to the side of, cocking back a fist and throwing it at their face.

They caught my fist in their palm mere inches from their face, expression twitching and jaw clenching from exertion as they struggled to hold back the punch, before I pulled my free hand up and sent ink firing up from the ground under us in a curving slash.

Chara quickly let go of my hand and leaned back, eyes widening as a slash appeared on their cheek from the narrowly dodged ink, which quickly curved back down to stab at them, only for them to back flip out of the way, landing on their hands and springing back as the ink stabbed into the ground before launching back out of the earth at them.

They pulled back both hands as a frying pan appeared in their grasp just before they swung down, smashing the pan into the oncoming ink and sending it splattering out around them.

Chara plummeted back down towards me with that frying pan, and I jumped back as they slammed it into the ground, crouching down and glaring up at me before lunging after me.

The Tough Gloves appeared on their hands and as they cocked back a right hook I threw up both arms in a cross at the side of my head to guard, only to immediately regret my decision as they slammed their left fist into my abdomen and made me hunch over in pain, eyes snapping open wide. Aaaand then the right hook came.

I stumbled back, head tilted to the left and blood running down my chin while Chara darted forward, sending three more quick jabs into my core and making my body jolt back and forth, before they jumped up and rammed their knee into my chin. I leaned back from the force of their knee strike, and they straightened said knee, slamming their foot into my chest and launching me down into the ground.

I exploded into the earth, carving a path through the dirt and across the plateau, racing towards the entrance that my friends watched me through. Eventually I came to a stop, and there I lay, groaning with pain.

"... Eugh..." I closed my eyes with exhaustion, tilting my head back against the dirt that was at the level of my shoulders. I was laying there in the line crater my body had made through the earth, chest heaving and blood dripping down my chin.

* _What_ are you doing? They are going to _kill_ you! Get up!

Slowly my hands clenched into fists in the dirt, eyes struggling to open while I grappled my pain for control over my body.

*I know you're stronger than this! You know you're stronger than this! So why are you holding back?!

"Cter!" Monster Kid's desperate cry struck my ears, and my jaw tightened. "You have to get up! Please!"

"Keep fightin', punk!" Undyne pumped one fist into the air. "Fight like only you can!"

"We all know you can do this!" Papyrus pressed his hands against the barrier. "We believe in you!"

*You have to stop holding back, because I promise you that _they_ aren't.

Growling with exertion, I lifted my heavy head and opened my eyes to glare at Chara, who was glaring right back at me while they sauntered - or really limped, but ominously - towards me.

"No, I... I think..." Grunting and groaning I pushed myself to my knee, and then to my feet, swaying back and forth some. "I think they might be..."

*They might be what?

"... I don't have anything solid, but..." My eyes narrowed tiredly at the approaching Chara, a jug of Spider Cider appearing in my hand. "I've felt Chara's hardest punch. And that wasn't it."

*So they're tired from getting thrown into a mountain side! Don't let it distract you from what must be done!

"Gee Texty, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about little ol' me..." I chuckled weakly to myself as I watched Chara summon a package of Instant Noodles while I tore the cap from my cider.

*I have a lot riding on you, brat.

I sucked down the entire drum of cider in seconds, making it crunch up from how much it pressurized before I emptied it and tossed the plastic container aside, letting out an "Ahh..." and wiping a stream of cider from my chin.

"And also," I lowered into a fighting stance as Chara swallowed the last of their raw noodles. "You die if I die, right?"

*Well it wouldn't be the first time I died because of you.

A grin instantly pulled up my features from that particular memory, and four sharp pointed spider leg-like spikes shot from my back.

"You really know how to put a guy in a good mood, Texty."

* * *

Sans stared with pupilless eyes down at the unconscious Gaster, his back to the barrier and the battle. He sat on his knees, arms limp at his sides.

 _"That kid's got traitor in his blood, Grillbz."_

Slowly, Sans skeletal hands clenched into fists, and his sockets narrowed.

 _"Cter Hacker is in every way The Angel the legends have foretold, and he is willing to sacrifice everything to stop devastation from rocking our world."_

That much was obvious to Sans now, and it certainly stung to know how wrong he'd been. But the guilt and shame that came with that false judgement stung worse.

 _"It ensures that, no matter what person I decide to be, you guys will be safe. So I can always say I did at least **one** thing right." _

"I don't understand..." Toriel confessed quietly, looking down at Frisk, who's head she'd laid in her lap. "So much of this makes no sense at all..."

"... Yeah." Sans stood slowly, and Toriel looked over to him curiously. "I guess there are a few pieces I should probably fill in."

"W-wait, Sans, you know something about all this?" Alphys glanced back from the fight to Sans, several others looking back as well.

"Alph..." Sans looked over his shoulder to the group at the barrier, sockets narrowing. "I know _**everything**_ about this."

"And I think it's time that you all knew, too." Sans turned to face his friends, and Grillby shot him a worrying glance.

"Sans, are you sure about this?" Grillby asked skeptically, and Sans nodded.

"If the kid's going this far for us, then... The least I can do is tell everyone everything he's done for us."

* * *

I was growing more and more certain the more slashes I weaved between that Chara was not giving it their all, and that thought alone was incredibly distracting.

 _"I guess I just feel strange." I shrugged lightly, clothes sticking to me from the water that rolled over me. "Saying goodbye is always hard, isn't it?"  
_

 _..._

 _Rain stopped rolling over me, and I looked with some surprise to find that Chara had stepped closer and lifted their umbrella higher, shielding the both of us from the downpour._

 _They stared ahead while I looked at them curiously. Their expression was hard to read. A lot of things were hard to understand these days, it seemed._

 _"... Yes." They agreed, not blinking in the pouring rain._

 _"Yes it is."_

I grit my teeth while I ducked back under a slash, several hairs being slashed from my bangs. _Damn it, I can't be thinking about that now!_

I threw up my arms to block Chara's punch, and even though it made me slide back from the force, I couldn't help but take note of the lack of enthusiasm behind the strike.

I threw my arms out to the sides, darting forward and crouching down, slamming two hard jabs into Chara's abdomen and making them hunch over in pain before I jumped over them, spinning in air and slamming my shin into the side of their head, sending them launching to the side.

 _Why didn't they block that?_ My eyes narrowed with what could have been concern as I landed on my feet, watching Chara skid across the ground before flipping up, landing on both hands and feet and continuing to slide back on those.

*What does it matter? keep attacking or you are going to die!

"I know, I know!" I shook my head to remove those memories from my brain, eyes clenching shut tight for a moment.

"Know what? That you're going to die?!"

I quickly stepped to the side, watching Chara launch by with a stab. I threw my hand into the air, and an eraser jolted from the ground under them like some cartoony spring trap, throwing them high into the air.

 _Why'd they yell that threat? If they hadn't I wouldn't have seen them coming!_ My brows furrowed with further confusion while I watched them drop from the sky, landing on their feet. _Not to mention how sloppy that stab was! it was half assed and slow and-_

*Why. The hell. Does it. Matter?

"Don't you get it?" I looked to the floating 2D box. "If they're hesitating then it means I might be able to-"

*Angel you have killed friends before, how is this any different?!

". . ." I went silent then, eyes going wide and urgency fading from my expression, replaced by the surprise that comes with a sudden realization. "... Wait, friends..?"

*Yes! Obviously you two are-!

*... Wait. Oh shit-

"Oh my god you're right." I reached up, placing a hand on my forehead and tilting my head back, eyes closing.

*No I'm not! You two are mortal enemies! Forget that friend thing right now, it was just a fluke! I didn't mea-

"Text box." I lifted one hand to get the box to stop speaking, gradually opening my eyes and looking down to it. "It's too late."

*... You're going to get yourself killed, aren't you?

"Eh." I shrugged, slowly nodding my head as I watched Chara start to approach. "Solid possibility."

*Someone strong would never do something like this, Angel. Are you really going to roll those dice, all or nothing, for _them_?

"..." My eyes narrowed thoughtfully, hands clenching slowly into fists as I contemplated that question and all it entailed.

 _"Huh? Why flight?" Anthony arched one white eyebrow.  
_

 _"So I can fly anywhere in the whole world, duh." Angel said like it was obvious, smirking over at Anthony. "If I could fly, I could get outta this crummy city."_

 _"Anywhere in the whole world, huh..?" Anthony spoke quietly and thoughtfully, looking down at his feet._

 _"I might even take you with me, if ya ask nice." Angel winked an eye shut, grinning playfully._

 _Anthony laughed lightly at that, smiling over at Angel._

 _"I can't leave this place, Angel." Anthony waved a hand dismissively, speaking like the idea was silly. "Who'd take care of my mom?"_

 _"That stuff don't matter when you're flyin', Anny." Angel grinned up at the cloudy sky. "It's all yours up there."_

 _"Haha! Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this." Anthony smiled gently. "Would you at least come visit me?"_

My jaw clenched, and on my chest my crimson soul flared, its white silhouette shining brightly.

"What kinda friend would I be if I didn't?"

* * *

"That's... A l-lot..." Alphys' eyes glossed to the floor, hands nervously gripping her lab coat. "Sans, you and I... G-gave Cter those powers..?"

"With... Us?" Undyne stepped forward, placing a hand on her chest.

"Asgore even gave the kid his soul." Sans nodded once. "Everyone in this room contributed in one way or another to making Cter the man he is today."

"He is not even from this world, and yet..." Asgore stepped to the barrier, reaching out and placing his hand on it. "He has given up everything for us..."

"Because we're all he has." Sans spoke, looking to the ground as his pupils disappeared from his eyes.

"And, Frisk..?" Toriel's eyes drifted down to the child that she held. "They could actually do something so horrible..?"

"Try not to be too hard on them." Sans sighed regretfully, eyes glossing over to Frisk. "They had... A lot of power and had no idea how to handle it. And Cter's really helped them get their life back together."

"... And what about me?" Monster Kid looked up then, eyes narrowing. "What was I to him?"

"Heh. isn't it obvious?" Sans grinned, winking an eye shut. "You were his best friend. Without you, he never would have been able to stay strong and beat Chara the first time."

"..." Monster Kid smiled at that, before looking over his shoulder at the battle. "Then I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Yes, if he beat them once I'm sure he'll do it again!" Mettaton exclaimed with a nod.

"Yeah!" Undyne grinned wide, holding her fists out in front of herself excitedly. "We've just gotta keep believing! When everyone's hearts are beating together, they can't lose!"

"That's right!" Papyrus agreed with a nod. "Cter is going to win for sure!"

 _... I wasn't wrong about you when you first came here, Angel._ Sans silently walked forward towards the barrier. _You were every nasty thing you said you were and then some._

 _... Were. Past tense._ Sans reached out, putting a hand on the barrier while his sockets narrowed thoughtfully. _But you've grown so much since we first met._

 _I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner kiddo, and..._ Sans' hand slowly clenched into a fist against the barrier, and the pupils disappeared from his sockets.

 _... I hope I haven't missed the chance to tell you how proud I am of you._

* * *

Chara raced forward across the plateau, darting between the giant pencil erasers that crashed down around them, before diving forward and stabbing at me, only for me to side step the stab and throw up one arm, sending pens spiking from the earth at them.

Chara reached out and placed their hand on the tip of a pen, avoiding it's point and pushing off from it, spinning to the side and slashing down at me, only for me to jump back out of the way and for them to land on one knee, immediately diving after me.

*So what's your big plan here?

 _Well,_ I ducked, dodged, and side stepped around slashes and stabs, backing up as I did so. Chara proved to be relentless in their pursuit, however, and I continued to rapidly twist, sway, step, turn... _Basically, I'm gonna crank up the intensity of the fight - and possibly piss Chara off intentionally - to make them stop holding back._

*Why?

Chara jumped as pens fired from the earth in front of them, before an eraser shot from behind them, slamming into their back and tossing them across the plateau.

 _To make sure they'll land a mortal wound._ I shrugged casually, before throwing out both hands and sticking two separate strands of ink to two peaks at opposite ends of the plateau, just before yanking myself across it, kicking towards Chara.

*And why on earth do you want that?

 _Well I figure-_ Chara jumped over my kick, and I shot by towards the wall of a high peak, planting my feet against it and back flipping over Chara, who had raced back after me with a slash. _That if Chara sees me on the verge of death,_

I threw one fist at the back of their head, but they spun on their heel and dodged it, throwing a kick at the side of my head, only for me to block it with my forearm. _They'll realize they don't want me to die._

 _And then,_ I stamped my foot and pens fired from under Chara's feet, only for them to jump back on the wall behind them and kick off it at me. They stabbed at me, but I reached out and grabbed them by the wrist, pulling their arm aside and throwing a fist at their face, only for them to catch it in their palm. _I should hopefully be able to convince them to stop this murder shit..!_

*And if you can't?

My eyes darted to the side with thought, before widening with pain as they cocked back their leg and slammed a kick into my side, making my grip loosen enough for them to break free and jump back away while I winced and held my side, waterlogged strands of hair draping over my face.

 _Well... Then I leave my pen to Monster Kid._ Beat Blasters appeared over my head and fired beams at Chara, who continued to jump back, smoke exploding up around them.

*Monster Kid doesn't have hands. Or arms.

 _Exactly._ I smiled a little while I watched the smoke. _It's funny._

*You're going to die like a fool.

 _Yeah, well._ My eyes narrowed as I watched Chara launch from the smoke, yanking that knife back. _Rather die a fool than live like an asshole._

On that note, I ducked to the side of their stab and cocked back one fist, throwing it at the side of their head, only for them to block it with both arms in a cross and be sent sliding across the mud back away from me.

They jumped back at me just as an eraser crashed down right where they had been, sending mud spraying up into the air and raining down with the water that still poured from above.

They cranked back that frying pan, and my eyes went wide as it banged across my head, sending a deep ringing through my brain while Chara jumped into the air and pulled one knee to their chest, kicking out at me only for me to catch them by the foot and throw their leg upwards, making them spin back through the air.

Chara landed on one knee, eyes instantly widening as I reached out and sent ink wrapping around their throat, immediately spinning around and whipping them back towards the mountain side, ink releasing them and sending them flying.

Chara spun in air, looking back to find the pens that jutted from the wall they were rapidly approaching head first and narrowing their eyes. They reached out and past the point of a pen, wrapping their hands around it and flipping themself back up onto it, sliding back from their momentum and jumping off it and onto a small ledge on the cliff face.

I threw one hand out towards them, mechanical pencils appearing over me and beginning to rapid fire out towards Chara, who jumped up from ledge to ledge while graphite bolts fired into the rock after them. When they reached a particularly high point, they kicked off from the wall and launched back down towards me, drawing that pistol and blasting any spikes of graphite that shot at them to smithereens.

I threw up a wall of keys as they landed and immediately opened fire on me, bullets bouncing from the keys before I threw my hand forward, sending the wall launching out towards Chara, who bent at the knees, diving over it and yanking that knife above their head.

I rolled under them, and they slashed down behind me before immediately spinning around to start sending more rapid fire stabs at me.

"Nope no nuh uh nada un uh no way." I spoke mockingly between each stab as I continued to dodge, duck, side step, or redirect each stab, and very soon the little vein could be seen popping out on Chara's forehead while they snarled with growing anger.

Their slashes and stabs came even faster, and with the rain I could also feel sweat making its way down my forehead while I was pushed further and further back towards the mouth of the cave.

Suddenly I knelt down and pressed both hands to the ground just as they stabbed, and their eyes widened as an eraser shot up from behind me and smashed into their face, sending them flinging back through the air in a series of involuntary back flips.

Chara face planted in the mud and slid back, almost immediately pushing up to their hands and knees and glaring at me. Black oozed from their eyes and the corner of their mouth, along with a distinct stream of red from their nose, no doubt caused by the impact of that eraser.

I glanced hesitantly over my shoulder at the hopeful faces behind that barrier, and my eyes narrowed painfully.

 _I can do this... I can make this right!_ My hands clenched into fists at my sides while I watched Chara launch off the ground, blasting right across the plateau and letting out a furious roar as they cranked back that knife, crimson eyes locking onto me.

 ** _"I guess I hadn't thought about it, a world without you. I've been very focused on getting to it, and haven't considered much what I'd do when I'm there."_**

I threw out one hand, ink spiraling up from behind me and firing off at Chara. _I have to!_

 ** _"'Is this as sweet as you?'... Well, I am sweet..." _**

Chara slashed rapidly, sending ink splattering to nothing in the rain as they rapidly closed the distance between us. _Come on Cter!_

 _ **"... What is a 'yandere'?"**_

I held my arms out to the sides, leaving myself wide open as more and more ink fired from behind me. _Come on Hacker!_

 _ **"You sweet talk every murderous lunatic like that? Here I thought I was special."**_

They were mere feet away, cocking back that knife for what I prayed would be the last time and letting out a primal roar.

 _Come on Angel!_

The music stopped.

Lightning crashed to Earth.

Thunder boomed.

Screams echoed from my friends. Well, all but one of them.

Chara stared down at me, jaw clenched and expression twitching with a mix of unsure emotions.

They'd knocked me right over, buried that knife in my diaphragm. When I fell back they'd dropped with me, sitting on my abdomen and using their knees to pin both of my arms to the ground.

"... Eh... Ehehe..." My eye twitched with pain, cold sweat pouring down my face with the rain while I stared up at them. Blood ran in a stream down my chin. "Y-yup, that... Still hurts like it used to..."

Chara didn't speak, just staring at my face with semi wide eyes. Their hands trembled around the handle of the knife they'd driven into my core.

"You... Didn't dodge..."

* * *

"CTER!" Monster Kid screamed, tears flooding from his eyes as he desperately shoved against that barrier.

"Come on, punk!" Undyne slammed her shoulder into the barrier, gritting her teeth with frustration. "Let us in there already..! We have to help you!"

"Get up, Cter!" Papyrus smashed his fists against the barrier. "You have to!"

"C'mon, kid..." Sans spoke quietly and almost just to himself as he rested his palm upon the barrier, sockets narrowing painfully. "It can't end like this..."

"Please, no..." Toriel stood slowly, placing her hands over her mouth as tears built in her eyes. "Not another, please..."

"Not after everything you've done for us!" Asgore pushed his hands against the barrier desperately. "Please!"

"You're stronger than this, darling!" Mettaton cocked back one leg, slamming it against the barrier. "You have to keep fighting!"

"P-please don't die Cter!" Alphys pounded her scaly fists against the barrier.

Grillby stood a ways back, eyes narrowing painfully before the glare of his glasses covered his eyes.

On the ground behind them all, Frisk's eyes twitched with life. Gradually, their fingers curled, hand balling into a fist.

* * *

Chara's jaw clenched, strands of soaked hair clumped together and dangling over their face.

"... This is your last chance, Cter." Their eyes narrowed painfully down at me, hands tightening around their blade's handle. "Either join me or die."

"Why are you giving me another chance..?" I looked up at Chara curiously, one eye winced shut while I heaved for air. Each inhale and each exhale hurt, but so did holding my breath. "I thought you wanted me dead..."

"I've entertained your goddamn fight enough already!" Chara snapped, hair falling over their eyes and making them disappear in shadow. "I won and you're going to die, so just join me already!"

"But... I thought you wanted to fight me..?" Drops of water fell from their hair as they leaned over me, landing on my face and helping wash away some of the blood that dribbled down my chin.

"I wanted you to join me you moron!" Chara balled their hands into fists, pulling them up like they were going to slam them on my chest but, upon seeing my fragile condition, hesitating.

"I gave you the incredibly simple ultimatum - join me or die - because I thought you would obviously pick the option where you get to live!" Inky black tears streamed down Chara's face with their outburst. "And then when you proved SHOCKINGLY indecisive on that, I changed the deal so that your death wouldn't be guaranteed!"

"But how does that-..?"

"So I would have time to convince you to change your stupid, stubborn mind!" Chara grabbed onto my torn and soaked shirt, glaring down at me. "But you're STILL being difficult!"

"This is the last time I'm going to ask, Cter! Hacker! Angel!" Chara wrapped one hand around that knife, placing the other on my chest to assure that I stay down. "Are you going to join me or am I going to have to kill you right here and now?!"

"... Chara." I closed my eyes, slowly shaking my head. "I'm not gonna help you... Hurt innocent people..."

Chara's jaw clenched, and a great measure of some mixed bag of nasty emotions flooded their eyes, overflowing in dark tears while they stared down at me.

"W-well... Fine!" Chara snarled, and my eyes snapped open wide as they yanked the knife from my solar plexus, making me cry out in agony. My yell was cut short, however, by blood that rushed up my throat, my eyes going bloodshot as crimson sprayed up from between my jaws, tremors rocking my agonizing body.

"If you'd really rather die than..!" Chara hesitated, holding that knife high above their head while trembling eyes stared down at me. "I'll grant your wish!"

Everything went silent. Just the pounding rain.

Chara's arm shook with indecision, crimson eyes never leaving my emerald ones. Their expression shifted, their eyes did not blink, their jaw locked.

"What's... What's going on..?" They almost whispered to themself, expression softening with confusion and concern. "W-why can't I..?"

"... You don't want to kill me." I blinked my eyes calmly, though I have to say that I felt relieved to have my theory confirmed.

"What..?" They asked quietly, brow furrowing like they really didn't understand.

"That's why you changed the deal. That's why you want me to join you. That's why you're hesitating." A genuine smile slowly crept up my face, despite the blood it was stained with and the fact it was going pale. "You don't want to kill me."

"That's..." Their eyes darted from side to side in a panic, like they were looking for any other answer.

"Ridiculous!" Chara's eyes landed back on me, wide with denial. "Why would I give a damn about your life?!"

"Shot in the dark..?" I arched a brow at them. "Probably because I'm, not afraid of you... I treat you like a regular person and I take the time to talk you because I... Enjoy being around you..."

"Because... You're my friend."

Chara's eyes were wide in horror, and they quickly started to shake their head. "Stop talking Cter."

"You're my friend and I..." I looked to the side, tired eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I want you around."

"Cter I'm serious quit it!" Chara's voice rose, and so did the panic in their eyes.

"I don't want to fight you, I don't want to hurt you, I just..."

"Stop it Cter!"

"... I want to be your friend, too."

"Stop talking like that!" Chara snapped, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt and lifting me some, making me wince with pain. "Stop being so..! So..!"

"I Chara-bout you." I grinned sheepishly even with the blood staining my teeth and the pain coursing through my body. "Hehe..."

Chara's hair shadowed their eyes and their teeth ground together, entire body trembling as their grip tightened on my shirt, before suddenly releasing.

"SHUT!"

My eyes widened, darting up to their hand as they once again pulled that knife up over their head.

"UP!"

Blood flew through the air. Agony carved a diagonal path across my chest with their slash. My eyes went wide and my pupils shrunk. Thunder boomed in the clouds above.

*Death of a fool it is.

"You..!" Chara once again grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, yanking me up some. "You ruined it!"

"This was supposed to feel good! I was supposed to be happy that I beat you!" Emotion burned in Chara's wide eyes. "But just like everything else you... You just..!"

Water struck my face. It was hard to tell if it was from the rain, or...

"You come along and make everything different and hard to understand!" Chara shook their head with frustration, inhaling sharply. "You fucked it up! This is all your fault!"

I wanted to say something. Say _anything_. But I couldn't. In fact, I could barely keep my eyes open. I'd been in excruciating pain for a few seconds, but now everything was going numb. My vision was starting to get hazy, and when my head fell back because my neck just couldn't support it's weight any longer, Chara's eyes suddenly widened with realization, and the fury disappeared from their expression.

"... Hey, w-wait a second." Their grip on my shirt loosened, and they gently set my head back on the ground. "What's going on?"

I stared up at the sky with hazy eyes. I couldn't feel the rain on my face, and Chara's words were muffled in my ears.

*You gambled everything and you failed.

"Why are you being so quiet?!" Horror was washing over Chara, cold sweat forming with their realization. "Say something!"

I wished I could say something. That I could tell them it was okay, that I didn't feel mad or betrayed or...

*But why _don't_ you, runt?!

I didn't have an answer. My brain worked with what energy it had left to find one, but the search was all too exhausting. I wasn't sure if I was breathing anymore. I didn't feel like I was choking, but I didn't feel my chest lifting either.

"You have something up your sleeve, don't you?!" Chara gripped fistfuls of my shirt, desperation in their eyes. "Some harebrained scheme that's going to save you?! Anything?!"

Their eyes lifted then with the red soul that slowly floated up from my chest, mouth hanging open and pupils shrinking as they watched cracks begin to split my it's crimson form.

"O-okay, Cter! You were right! Is that what you want me to say?!" Chara's eyes darted back down to me, watching the green fade from my eyes. "I-..! I don't want this..! I..."

Tears welled up in their eyes then, and they clenched their eyelids shut, turning their head down and away from my ever cracking soul.

 _"_._._._I_d_o_n_'_t_w_a_n_t_y_o_u_t_o_d_i_e_._._._"_

"..." My mouth managed to open with what little of my strength and DETERMINATION remained. Everything was going dark around me, but four words sat on the tip of my tongue, and even as my soul cracked and broke, I had one last proclamation to make. Not for Chara, not for my friends. For me.

So I spoke, quietly and barely at all. But without pain, without hesitation.

"... Then He was wrong."

Chara's head lifted at the sound of my voice, a glimmer of hope appearing in their eyes.

 **S_h_a_t_t_e_r**

Their pupils shrunk, watching shards of red fling through the air as tears overflowed, a stream cupping each of their cheeks. Their arms dropped limp at their sides, and hope left them there, cold and in the rain.

Slowly, Chara lowered their head, looking to their blood stained hands with blurry eyes. Water droplets hit Cter's blood and diluted it, making it run from their hands and slowly washing it away.

They were shaking, and they managed to lift their eyes to the corpse that they were seated on. They gradually brought their blood soaked hands to their chest, hugging them close and almost seeming to curl up some, like they were trying to seem small and insignificant.

Cter's eyes were empty of all life, what was once green now almost grey. They stared for thousands of miles, unfocused and lacking any and all emotion. His face had gone pale, rain washing the clashing red blood from his pale white skin and letting it seep into the earth.

Looking upon the hollow shell that wore Cter's face made Chara shake even more violently. It made panic, regret, denial, guilt, and a billion other emotions scream in their brain. They screamed and screamed and screamed until Chara had no choice but to unhinge their jaw, clamp their eyes shut and do the same.

They screamed and cried and shouted into the nothingness they'd cast themself into, tears streaming indignantly down their face.

Unable to bear the pain in their chest, Chara had to hunch over while they sobbed, placing one hand over their face in a pathetic attempt at stopping their flow of tears while they hung their head low. They sat there, crying uncontrollably for a time period they were unsure of. It was like the world had frozen, went dark around them.

Lightning struck.

Thunder boomed.

A shadow fell over them.

Chara slowly lifted their head, one hand still covering the right side of their face as they looked up at Frisk, who loomed over them, Worn Dagger gripped tightly in their hand.

"... You killed my friend." Frisk spoke after one hate-filled staring contest, a furious scowl overtaking their usually calm and friendly expression.

"H-heh... Hey," Chara sniffled, a weak smile forming on their face as they began to giggle in spite of the tears that continued to pour down their face. "He was my friend, too."

Frisk's eye twitched with aggravation at such a notion, before swiftly lifting that dagger, pointing it right in Chara's face, the blade inches from their nose.

"I'm tired of this. I'm tired of _you_." Hatred was clear in Frisk's tone. It was written on their face, shined in their eyes.

Chara didn't bother responding, just pointing back up at Frisk with their own knife. Seeing the blood it was still stained with made Frisk's knuckles whiten around the handle of their dagger.

"No more fighting. No more hurting people. No more death." Frisk's soul appeared on their chest, red outlined with white. They tilted their head back some, and a murderous red gleamed in their right eye.

 **"No more Chara."**

* * *

Wood chips.

I was laying on wood chips. Staring up at a darkening, overcast and polluted sky.

Not the afterlife I'd imagined.

"Angel?"

My eyebrows raised in surprise as a pale, childish face leaned over me. Kind ruby eyes shined with concern, the small albino boy tilting his head to the side, a band-aid under his left eye.

"... Anny..?" I asked with furrowed brows and squinted eyes, like I was trying to make sure I had the right face.

The boy just smiled, reaching out with one little hand to help me up. I lifted my heavy arm, taking the child's clean, soft, pale hand in my dirty, rough, bony and blood stained fingers.

"It's been such a long time since you've visited, Angel." Anthony laughed as I sat up, smiling genuinely while I looked over the playground we sat in.

We used to spend every afternoon here. Sitting on those swings. Playing 1 on 1 tag and/or hide and seek. It was a nice, safe place. A little slice of heaven for an innocent Angel.

"... Yeah..." I looked to my hands with narrowed, exhausted eyes, and I frowned. I certainly looked like I just died. I was still stained with mud and blood, still missing my sweatshirt and wearing that cut up, red striped black T shirt. The only thing that was missing was the water the sky had dunked me in and the gaping chest wounds.

An Innocent Angel, and whatever I had always been.

"It's getting late." Anthony scratched the back of his head as I stood, looking to the side.

"You've gotten big and strong, haven't you?" Anthony smiled knowingly up at me, tilting his head to the side while he held his hands together in front of himself. "Would you mind walking me home..?"

"... If it's, not too much trouble..." Anthony lowered his head, rubbing his shoulder timidly. "I know you must be busy these days..."

"..." I smiled sadly, reaching down and picking Anthony up. I set him on my shoulders, and his legs dangled forward over my chest.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my forehead while I took gentle hold of his ankles, beginning to walk through the wood chips towards the gate of the chain link fence surrounding Heaven.

"Thanks, Angel!" Anthony smiled a big happy grin, hugging my head affectionately and appreciatively.

 **"I knew I could always count on you!"**

* * *

 **See you guys in four days. ;)**

 **(And also in the reviews pls I really wanna see your reactions will give the big love-)**

 **Please Favorite Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	20. Chapter 20: A Little Piece Of Heaven

**Okay so it _might_ take five days for the chapter after this comes out. Might. Maybe. Enjoy the chapter! **

**Thanks go to fergusans18, BonelessSkele, brentonbaldwin1, BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, 10burgers, Gray Kanzakai, Okami Endless, Loyal Fan, NBoss01, Jack54311, InsertNameHere, Alrarora, bananahead1, A Reader, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, JakeGetsFrisky, and Tbone8454.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"What... Happened to me..?"

"Well..." Anthony looked up thoughtfully from his place on my shoulders. "You were on the swing."

"And you kept swinging higher and higher." Anthony paused from his thoughts to smile down at me. "It was pretty amazing, actually."

"But, you went to jump off, and..."

 _"You..! You ruined it!"_

"You didn't really... Stick the landing." Anthony shrugged slowly, wearing an expression that read 'yikes'.

"... Right." I stood at the chain link fence's gate, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I remember now."

I reached out, gently running my fingers over the cool, rough metal of the gate. Funny, the special place such insignificant things can find in your heart.

"... I think I really screwed up, Anny." I spoke quietly, hand resting on the jagged steel, eyes laying on my hand. Last time I'd put my hand here, I had to reach up. My hands were small. Now I nearly had to lean down to touch the gate, and my hands were bigger. Elongated, spidery...

"With Chara?" Anthony tilted his head to the side, arching a brow curiously down at the top of my head.

"With everybody..." I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. "With you, with Granny, with Lexi..."

"Well..." Anthony lifted his head, looking to the concrete jungle that loomed in our path. Skyscrapers and chimneys that spat streams of black smoke all reached up to the wretched sky. "We've got a long walk ahead of us."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"..." I took a deep breath, nodding slowly while I moved my hand to the latch holding the gate in place, pulling it up and then pushing the gate ajar.

"More than anything."

 **Chapter 20: A Little Piece Of Heaven**

 _"'I understand why you helped us all, but isn't there anyone you wanna go back to?"_

* * *

Metallic clangs rang through the air, Chara rapidly jumping back and deflecting slashes and stabs as Frisk continued forward, expression twisting with fury.

Chara tilted their head to the side and let a stab go over their shoulder, throwing a fist at Frisk's face, only for Frisk to catch Chara's punch in their palm with stunning ease.

Frisk snarled with rage, cocking their head back and smashing their forehead into Chara's, making Chara recoil and stumble back, giving Frisk the time to jump up and pull both knees to their chest, slamming both feet into Chara's abdomen and making their eyes snap open wide with agony and their body hunch over the feet rammed in their core just before they were sent launching back across the plateau.

Chara stiffened as they slammed against a wall of stone, mouth snapping open and launching saliva before they dropped to one knee, wincing and grabbing where Frisk had kicked them. They grit their teeth, lifting their head to shoot a glare at Frisk, who was too busy sprinting across their arena to notice.

Chara snarled, that gun appearing in their hand and they swiftly lifted it, aiming right at Frisk.

 _"Because... You're my friend."_

Chara clenched their eyes shut and turned their head to the side at the sudden memory of their latest kill, and their bullet fired far over Frisk's head, not anywhere near hitting it's mark.

 _Stop it!_ Chara's teeth ground together, and they kept their head low while they lowered that gun. _I don't want to think about him!_

"Your aim is shit!"

Chara's eyes widened, and they lifted their head to find Frisk cocking back one leg. Frisk's shin slammed directly into Chara's cheek, and they were sent skidding on their shoulder through the dirt, blood flying from their lip.

They eventually came to a stop and managed to open one eye, one trembling hand being placed in the mud to push themself slowly out from the skid mark Frisk had used their body to create in the dirt.

 _What's going on..?_ Chara's eyes narrowed as they lifted their hand, their Real Knife appearing in their grasp. _This should be easy, all I have to do is kill someone!_

 _"Do you. Want. A sweet. Frozen. Treat? C'mon Chara, you can't be shocked every single time I ask you a question."_

Chara's hand trembled around that knife. _It... I-it should be..._

 _"It's just... It seems like anyone who has any idea who I actually am doesn't give a damn that I'm trying. Like they think it's... Inevitable, me being a jackass."_

 _Why did he open up to me, of all people..?_ Pain reflected in Chara's eyes, before they shook their head violently. _No! I said I don't want to think about this!_

 _"... I'm sorry Chara."_

 _Why did he apologize..? Did he know how much it... It..._ Chara felt that lump forming in their throat again, and their fingers began to unwrap from the handle of their blade. They desperately attempted to shove their invasive thoughts away, but to no avail.

 _... Why did he have to pick all of them over me..?_

"What are you doing?" Frisk's cold voice cut in. "Get up. _Now_."

Chara lifted their head and glared up at Frisk from under their eyebrows, revealing that there was yet another stream of tears running down their cheek.

"You're still crying?" Frisk's eyes narrowed with reserved wrath down at Chara. "You're pathetic."

"Shut up..." Chara growled softly, their grip tightening some around their knife.

"You heartless monster. What gives you the _right_ to cry?" Frisk snarled viciously. " _You_ killed him, Chara. He tried to help you and you killed him!"

"SHUT UP!" Chara screamed, jumping to their feet and stabbing decisively. They buried their knife directly in Frisk's solar plexus, right where they'd stabbed Cter.

Chara grinned furiously, slowly lifting their head and looking from the wound they'd inflicted to Frisk's face.

"What, was that supposed to hurt?"

Chara's red eyes went wide as Frisk stood tall, expression unchanged even as blood trickled from the corner of their mouth. Their eyes were an icy calm, the only warmth being the fire of their anger.

Suddenly Frisk reached out, grabbing Chara by the back of the head and yanking their foreheads together, bashing Chara with their skull and sending them recoiling, their expression scrunching up and red droplets flinging from their now split forehead.

Frisk spun, slamming a roundhouse kick into Chara's side and sending them launching across the plateau, landing on their back and skidding through the mud while their eyes winced shut with agony.

"You made me die a million times." Frisk stomped unhindered towards Chara, reaching up without hesitation and not flinching as they ripped that knife out of their core, sending crimson flicking through the air and overflowing down their abdomen. "Suffer a million wounds."

Chara pushed themself up onto their elbows, fear reflecting in their eyes as they slowly crawled back away from their approaching attacker, streams of red running down their chin.

"A million wounds that hurt A MILLION TIMES WORSE THAN YOUR STUPID KNIFE!" Frisk suddenly snapped, expression twisting with explosive fury as they cocked back Chara's knife and whipped it right back at them.

Sweat beading down their forehead, Chara swiftly moved their head to the side, a tear opening on their cheek as their own knife shot by, sticking into the ground behind them.

Their shaky eyes landed back on Frisk, who sauntered ever closer, hands clenched into white knuckled fist, their finger nails breaking the skin of their palms and sending ruby streams running out across their fingers.

"You took everything from me." That dagger appeared in Frisk's grasp, and red steam began to form from their wound, gradually beginning to close it. "My life, my soul, my friends..."

"And now?" Frisk stopped as they loomed over Chara, pointing their dagger right down at them. Chara stared up at them in horror, trembling with the whirlwind of emotions that clouded their DETERMINATION.

 **"I'm taking it back."**

* * *

"So how do think this all started, Angel?" Anthony asked as we walked up a dirt road towards the looming buildings. The road was overgrown, grass poking up through what remained of its gravel. Made sense, me n' Anny were the only ones who walked it.

"Well... I dunno, it's... Kinda hard to find a starting point, y'know?" I looked over to Anny as he leaned over the side of my head to see my face. "I feel like I've been... Kinda damaged my whole life."

"Why's that?" Anthony asked curiously, and I shrugged.

"Well, I mean, it had to have started with my parents, right?" I looked ahead, furrowing my brows at my own words. "And it's not that they were terrible or didn't love me or something."

"I just, think they only loved me when it was convenient and only showed it when it was easy." I stuffed my hands in my pockets, looking to the sky. "If I asked for something they'd buy it, but when I cried - as little kids often do - they never asked why."

"... Just, kinda, told me to be quiet. Got mad at me. Until I learned that it was bad to cry, that it was wrong to feel those emotions."

"... That hurts you, doesn't it, Angel?"

"..." My eyes glossed thoughtfully to the side. "I mean, not as much as it should. Mostly just... Numb."

"Like that one Linkin Park song?" Anthony tilted his head to the side curiously, and I snerked, smiling some.

"Yeah, Anny, just like that." I chuckled, shaking my head. My laughter died down after a few seconds passed however, and those cruel thoughts crept back in.

"... But, yeah, I think they kinda unintentionally messed me up." I kept talking, and I wasn't sure why. I guess I just had more to say. "I didn't really learn how to love people correctly. And I'm, not sure if that's something you're supposed to learn or just kinda know from the get go?"

"But, either way," My eyes glossed down, and I shook my head. "I have no idea how."

"And why do you think that is?"

"Well, like I said, my parents gave me some pretty fair weather love, and they certainly didn't love each other." As I spoke, the world around us shifted like some strange mirage. I stopped walking, and now found myself standing in my childhood room, Anthony still up on my shoulders.

The door to the room was wide open, and two shadows stretched grotesquely out over the blue carpet. They were screaming at each other. Some... Frivolous bullshit about their failing marriage or something. I dunno, I wasn't listening. That much was apparent when the little Angel sitting on the floor at the center of the room looked away from the TV his eyes had been glued to and towards the door with an annoyed frown.

The tiny me stood up, and walked right through me like I wasn't there. Just phased right on through, quietly shut the door, and then - rolling his eyes - walked right back and plopped down where he'd been, looking back to the screen that raised him.

"... That much was pretty obvious from how much they hated each other."

"Why do you think that is?" Anthony furrowed his brows curiously, looking down at the top of my head.

"... I, think it was my fault." I spoke with a casual shrug. "And I know that probably sounds bad and, isn't exactly fair to me to say, but..."

The world shifted around us again, and suddenly we were standing in a pitch black void, the only light filtering in through the doorway that a little Angel crouched down in. My childhood self peered into his parents' room from the darkness, where he could clearly see our mother sitting.

Her back was to us, and her head was down at her mirror like she couldn't look herself in the eye. We couldn't see her face but, from the way she was trembling and the gross undignified sounds that echoed were a clear indicator that she was sobbing. Hysterically.

Little Angel reached out, took a step forward, but... He hesitated. Then, he turned around, and he walked away, leaving Anny and I alone to watch my mother have a mental breakdown.

"... I was an accident." I explained, eyes not leaving my mother's back, which trembled and lifted with her sobs. "And, the two stayed together to do 'the right thing', or whatever the cliche is. But... They didn't love each other. And I think they blamed me for how unhappy they were, even though they did it to themselves."

"... A lot of my childhood gave the impression that they didn't really like me at all. Weren't interested in me." I shrugged my shoulders lightly. "They just wanted me to be quiet while they wallowed."

"Do you hate them for that?"

"..." I slowly reached out, taking the handle of that door and gently pulling it towards myself, the hinges of the door creaking softly as light dimmed more and more. "... I don't know."

The door closed, clicking into place. There Anny and I were, alone in pitch black darkness.

"Well... Do you have any fond memories of your parents, Angel?"

"... My dad, gave me a gift once. I didn't ask for it, it was just... Something he wanted me to have. Something that made him think of me. And, up until then I... Didn't know he thought about me."

The void of black we stood in shifted to white, and we could suddenly see a man with dark brown hair kneeling before little Angel, holding out a simple silver bell with a little handle reaching up from it's top.

"And, really, such a silly little tool shouldn't have meant anything to a kid with an XBox, but..." I furrowed my eyebrows, pausing thoughtfully. "... He said something to me that... Stuck. Something about how every time a bell rings, an Angel gets his wings."

"Obviously, I was excited. You know how bad I wanna fly, Anny." I looked up towards Anthony, who nodded. "You're the only person who ever asked, after all."

"So I rang the bell, and was pretty sad when no beautiful ivory wings spread from my shoulder blades." My eyes glossed back down to the little Angel silently ringing that bell and looking over his shoulders sadly. "But, dad, he..."

"He... Picked me up, and he smiled as he held me. And he told me..."

Little Angel's eyes widened with some surprise while his father lifted him, all with a genuine smile on his face. His dad's lips moved, but the sound of his words came from me repeating them.

"'Son, whenever you're feeling sad and low and down in the dumps, just ring this bell. And maybe someday, when you need it the most, you'll sprout your wings, and you'll be able to fly back where you belong.'"

"Aww... That's really sweet." Anny grinned wide, but I just smiled sadly.

"It was the first time I ever really felt a connection with another person that wasn't in a game or on a cartoon." I took a step closer to the mirage. "And that's probably why the bell meant so much to me. It always took me right back to that moment where someone showed that... That they loved me."

I reached out slowly, but the mirage disappeared, and the smile faded from my expression, that bittersweet feeling replaced by the usual deep sense of longing.

"So did you do what he asked?" Anny tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Yup." I nodded, and suddenly a single end table formed in the whiteness before us. All that was on the table was that bell, staring right up at me. "Every time I got sad, I rang the bell."

"... And, obviously, every time I was disappointed."

"But it was... _Something_ , I guess." I shrugged, eyes locking on to the bell. "A little sound that gave me some kinda hope."

"And what happened to the bell?"

"... Well."

The world shifted again, and we were once more in my childhood room. Well, actually, we were in a different childhood room. My room after my family moved.

It was night time, and the window was open wide. A chilly breeze made the curtains billow some, and the moonlight landed perfectly on the mostly blank white sheet of paper sitting on the desk at the center of the room. The only thing keeping the wind from blowing the paper away was the little silver bell that rested atop it.

 _"Got tired of waiting for those wings."_

 _\- Angel_

"... I uh, left it when I ran away." I stepped closer to the desk, reaching out and resting a hand next to the note. I leaned over those seven cold words and squinted painfully. I had never hesitated on this letter. It'd taken me five seconds to write and no revisions felt necessary.

But, looking at it now, after all this time...

"Did it make them sad when you left?"

"..." My hand slowly clenched into a fist against the smooth wood of that desk top. "... I'll never know."

Then, the world shifted, and we were back on that dirt road, that filthy sky above and that wretched city ahead.

"They gave up their futures to try to make a better one for you." Anthony looked up thoughtfully to the layer of clouds protecting the city from God's eye. "Do you think it was ungrateful for you to abandon them like that?"

"... Yeah, well, if they were really trying to give me a good future, they failed." I frowned from the sting of a picked at scab. "That's not my fault."

"... Are you afraid that you failed too?"

 _"... I want to be your friend, too."_

 _"Stop talking like that! Stop being so..! So..!"_

 _"I Chara-bout you. Hehe..."_

 _"SHUT! UP!"_

"..." My eyes fell to the ground, and my expression dulled with the deep ache of a wound a lot more fresh. I reached up, grabbing the tear in my shirt with my filthy hands. "... Lets keep walking, Anny."

"Okay!" Anny smiled innocently, resting his hands atop my head.

I began walking again, and after another minute or two gravel became pavement, and we were making our way up some grimy alley way out towards the street.

"Sooo... That's your parental issues down, what's next?" Anthony leaned over the side of my head to furrow his curious lil' eyebrows at me.

"Well... Probably you, Anny." I concluded, coming to a stop and glancing down to where wall met floor between two aluminum garbage cans. Reality shifted, and suddenly one could make out three young boys, all crowded around and kicking something on the filthy ground.

Something that was uh, crying out in pain and asking them to stop every time they kicked. This made the boys laugh, but it did nothing for soothing their blood lust.

That's what the rocks were for.

"Ow!" One of the three cried out, grabbing at the little cut that had formed on the side of his head. The three all looked towards the entrance of the alley, where little Angel stood with a hand full'a rocks. He cranked back his arm and whipped another stone at the three little bastards kicking that pathetic white ball on the ground.

"Go on, get!" Angel shouted with another throw, making the three other brats jump and dance around the rocks pelting them, before inevitably tucking their tails between their legs and scurrying off and away from their prey.

Little Angel walked right up to the boy curled up in one pasty ball, and he peaked up from the dirt with one beautiful ruby eye. Least, I always thought they were pretty.

"Everybody was always really freaked out by me. But you weren't." Anthony tilted his head to the side curiously while we watched my younger self smile and extend a hand out to the beaten and terrified Anthony. "Why was that?"

"I mean, I was raised by cartoon that all promoted pretty heroic and anti-judgmental values." I spoke with a casual shrug.

"Is that why you wanted to help me in the first place? To play hero?"

"... Well." My eyes darted to the side, and I frowned.

 _"_._._._I_d_o_n_'_t_w_a_n_t_y_o_u_t_o_d_i_e_._._._"_

"... We both saw where that nasty habit landed me."

"As for why I didn't think you were scary, well..." I smiled another bittersweet smile, watching Anthony's face light up hopefully as Angel helped him to his feet. "I mean, just look at you. There wasn't a threatening thing about you."

"Is there something threatening about me now?"

Suddenly, the shadows of the little albino boy that Angel was helping to his feet stretched out into an absolutely nasty form. The two didn't seem to notice, but Anthony's shadow had red eyes a lot less beautiful. Glowing crimson that peered hungrily into the soul for fear to feast upon. It had a mouthful of sharp teeth that it used to put on one big grin, and in its hand it gripped the black outline of that cruel, cold, curved steel.

All lurking right over that sweet little kid's shoulder.

"... No, Anny." I clenched my eyes shut tight in hopes that chaotic shadow would disappear once they reopened.

"You're my best friend, I could never be afraid of you."

* * *

Chara growled, lifting their revolver and letting off several potshots at Frisk, who didn't even flinch as one bullet flew over their shoulder, another by their cheek, and one embedding in their shoulder.

"I have no idea," Frisk planted one foot on Chara's chest, shoving them back into the mud. "What Cter ever saw in you."

"S-shut... Up..!" Chara snarled, wrapping their hands around Frisk's foot in attempt to push it away, barely succeeding in alleviating the pressure on their chest. "You have... No idea what you're talking about..!"

"I know that he was your last chance at saving your meaningless life." Frisk grit their teeth, pushing down with all their might and making Chara start to sink into the mud. "And you blew it."

"Stop..! Talking..!" Chara snarled, the fury of indignation creeping into their heart as they dug their finger nails into Frisk's ankle. "Or I'll..! I'll..!"

"You'll _what_?!" Frisk snapped, looming over Chara while red steamed from their injuries.

"I'll..!" Chara's right eye twitched, a crimson light flickering in it. Their body stopped trembling, that cloud of emotion began to clear with the intensity of the situation.

Crimson began to steam from the cut on Chara's cheek, slowly sealing it while their fury only grew and grew.

It was clear. Only one thing mattered in this moment. They had to be strong, or they were going to die.

"You'll what, Chara?!" Frisk repeated furiously, continuing to challenge their fellow human with the bolstering confidence that came with their level of anger. "What are you gonna do?!"

Chara let go of Frisk's ankle with one hand, the other hand gripping surprisingly tight while they cocked back a fist, a Tough Glove appearing around it. Their right eye ignited with crimson flames, and they roared their answer.

"I'M GONNA RIP YOUR GODDAMN ARMS OFF!"

Frisk's eyes snapped open wide with sudden agony, their leg folding unnaturally to the side as Chara rammed their fist into the side of their knee, a sickening snap resounding as the pressure was instantly removed from Chara's chest, Frisk stumbling on their now broken leg.

Chara launched up to their feet and crashed their forehead into Frisk's with one swift motion, sending Frisk flinging back through the air. They hit the mud, eyes winced shut as they skidded across it before lifting their arms, reaching back and pushing off the ground behind them, flipping back up onto their one good leg and gradually sliding to a stop.

Frisk's chest heaved with exhaustion, eyes darting from their unresponsive and awkwardly bent knee back to Chara. And boy did they look _pissed_.

Chara's hair shadowed their left eye, their right illuminated by those red flames that swirled around it. Their mouth hung open like a starved and vicious animal, each breath creating a small puff of fog in the chilled rain. Their arms were limp at their sides, red DETERMINATION misting from the multiple scrapes and cuts that coated their body. In their hand they once more held that Real Knife.

*Stronger.

* * *

"So what did I mean to you, Angel?"

"Well, you were my first friend and, the best one I've ever had." We stood in another illusion, watching little Angel and little Anthony slip down a slide, laughing happily. "I just... Didn't know what that really meant back then."

"I... Really didn't know too much at all back then." My eyes glossed to the ground regretfully.

"No one can fault you for that, Angel." There was a hint of concern in Anthony's voice as he wrapped his arms around my head comfortingly. "You were just a kid..."

"... So were you." I looked up, and the scene before us had shifted to the two children at the end of a driveway, little Angel leaning in to inspect the black eye that Anthony nervously put a hand over.

"O-oh, the black eye? Well, you know how clumsy I am, haha! Just tripped and fell face first into the corner of a wall! Pretty dumb of me, huh Angel?"

"But, you didn't know." Anthony leaned down from atop my head to look at me.

"... Yes I did." I couldn't look at him, instead opting to keep my shame filled eyes on the ground. "I'd had to have been an idiot to not have known. You're a terrible liar, Anny."

"You and me were always opposites like that, huh?"

"... Yeah." That stung, even though I doubt Anny meant for it to.

"So, if you knew, why didn't you tell anyone?"

I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. There just wasn't an excuse that could make up for leaving Anthony with that _bitch_ of a mother he was cursed with.

"Angel?"

The world shifted, and suddenly we were standing outside of an old, semi-dilapidated house. Anthony had always tried his best to take care of the place and his mom as best he could, but... He was just a kid.

So that's probably why I was so terrified as a child when I saw his mom kicking the shit out of him through the window.

Angel stared through that window with wide eyes, tears streaming down his face. I remember how he was feeling. I still remember what he was seeing. Vividly.

Anthony was on the ground, curled up in the sniveling ball I guessed he always curled up in when someone had to take their frustrations out on him. His mother continued to scream words that I couldn't hear through the wall, and Anny cried apologies that I couldn't quite make out. Didn't seem like his mom heard 'em either. Or she just didn't care.

Angel was terrified. Terrified and worried and disgusted and confused. He'd never seen anything like this, after all. He was deeply disturbed, but couldn't tear his eyes away.

That was, until that sadistic bitch turned around and plucked that crowbar from the table behind her. And then I could hear Anthony's terrified screams as he crawled back on his hands, shaking his head while tears and blood alike streamed down his face. Pleas, apologies... All on deaf ears.

"... I'd just wanted to see if you wanted to go to the playground." I spoke, stepping forward as little Angel turned his head away, clamping his hands over his ears to try blocking out his best friend's screams. "And I wish every day I had just... That I could've..."

I reached out, gently placing my hand on that window. For just a moment I felt the cool glass, before the illusion disappeared, and we were once more standing on the empty streets of that filthy city.

"... I didn't see you for two weeks after that." I slowly lowered my hand, staring ahead for a thousand yards. "Thought you might'a been dead until you knocked on my door with that same innocent smile."

"... And a cast on your arm..."

"You never answered my question." Anthony's voice was unusual. Less playful. Cold. "Why didn't you help me?"

"... I, I was just a kid." I shook my head, stuffing my hands into my pockets and lowering my shame filled eyes to the pavement on which we walked. "I didn't understand the gravity of the situation, and I was... I was selfish."

"Selfish?"

"I was afraid that they'd take you away." I glanced to the side as I walked, head low. "That you'd go to some foster home or something and I would never see you again."

"Never seeing me again didn't seem to matter to you after you moved."

I clenched my eyes shut, cringing at my poor choices.

"You only moved across the city. You could have called, we still could have hung out sometimes. You didn't have to abandon me Angel. But you did anyway."

"I-..."

"You knew you were all I had. You knew you were leaving me with Her. Did you even care? Did you ever care?"

"Of course I-"

"You say I was your best friend, but do you even know what that means?"

". . ."

"At some point you have to stop lying to yourself Angel."

I crouched down there, in the abandoned streets, bringing my knees up to my chest and burying my face in them while I wrapped my arms around myself, curling up into a pathetic ball not unlike the one Anny would curl up in when he received his motherly beatings.

"... I don't know how to care about people, Anny..." I finally spoke, not daring peek up for fear of the little albino on my shoulders seeing just how much of a pathetic worm I really was. "I didn't understand how special you really were to me until..."

"Until when, Angel?"

"..." I lifted my head, pained emerald eyes staring out blankly at the cold, cruel world around me. "... Until I realized you were gone."

"Until I met Anarchy."

"..." Anthony's nonstop questions reached a pause, like even he was crushed under the weight of that name.

"I took you for granted I, I took all the happy parts of my childhood for granted and left them behind and-..."

I once again gripped the tear in my shirt, and I spoke in barely a whisper.

"... Now I'm alone..."

* * *

Frisk grunted with exertion as they blocked Chara's blade with their own, sliding back through the mud on their good leg.

"That all you've got..?!" Frisk snarled a challenge, but Chara remained inexpressive, just staring through them with that one burning right eye.

Chara suddenly spun around the knives that separated the two, kicking out and slamming their shoe into Frisk's abdomen, making them double over and sending blood spewing up from between their teeth before they were sent launching back through the air, only to be stopped abruptly by colliding with a stone wall, sending cracks spider webbing through the rock.

Frisk dropped down to one knee, panting and growling up at Chara - who sauntered closer - before glancing back at their misshapen leg.

Without skipping a beat, they reached out, grabbed that broken leg by the ankle, and did not so much as flinch as they snapped it back into place, setting their bone with a simple pull.

Then Frisk snarled at the approaching Chara, red misting from their broken knee and beginning to reseal the bone while Frisk stood, keeping weight off that leg for the time being while they pointed their dagger threateningly at Chara.

Chara suddenly leaned forward, arms swaying limp at their sides before they lunged forward, yanking that knife back and stabbing at Frisk, who was quick to lift their hand and let Chara's blade pierce right through their palm, allowing Frisk to wrap their fingers around Chara's hand and hold them in place while they cocked back their own stab.

Chara ducked out of the way of their stab, launching forward and ramming their shoulder into Frisk's core and carrying them back into that wall of stone, smashing them right into it and sending dust exploding out around the two as more cracks blasted across the rock, a chunk plummeting from the peak and smashing into the dust.

In the next instant, Chara jumped back from the dust, rapidly swinging their arm to deflect the many slashes of Frisk, who launched out right after them, that rage flaring red in their right eye.

Frisk suddenly pushed off the ground, flipping over Chara and spinning around, throwing a kick at the back of their head, only for Chara to lift their forearm, blocking the kick without even looking over their shoulder.

Frisk growled, kicking off of Chara's arm and landing on their feet a good distance away. It seemed their leg had healed by their will, and upon looking to their punctured hand, they found it's hole was just about sealed as well.

Frisk looked back to Chara as they turned to face them, and were heavily disgusted to find streams of black gunk running down from Chara's eyes and mouth, painting their blank expression with dark lines.

Lightning crashed behind them, sending a white flash across the mountain range.

* * *

"... So what happened next?"

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment before nodding and standing back to my full height. "Then, I met Granny."

"After you moved, that is?" Anthony asked curiously, and I nodded.

"About two years after moving across the city, I got mixed up in a bit'a nonsense with a group of older kids." I explained as I walked, Anthony gently tapping his hands on my head like it was a bongo.

"What kind of nonsense?" Anny asked, looking down at the top of my head.

"They drove by me and intentionally hit a puddle to splash me with dirty water." I shrugged casually. "So I watched them pull into the local bar,"

"The one that serves minors so long as they pay extra?"

"Yup." I nodded. "I broke the front window of their car to get in, hot wired it, parked it illegally, and then called in and got it towed."

"Oh my god!" Anthony exclaimed with disbelief.

"Yeah don't fuck with me." I said casually, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "My big mistake was waiting until they came outside and throwing eggs at them."

"All of this over some water?"

"It's the principle, Anny." I waved a hand dismissively. "You wouldn't understand."

"Probably because it's dumb."

"Well aren't we just the little sass meister?"

"What happened next, Angel?"

"They chased me, and I ran." As we walked, the vision of a thirteen year old Angel sprinting and hopping fences became apparent at our side. I turned my head, watching the display without much curiosity. "It was both good and bad that they were drunk. On one hand they were stumbly enough for me to stay ahead, but on the other they were belligerent enough to assure the breaking of my bones if they caught me."

"And did they catch you?"

"Nope." I turned, walking casually up a driveway that my younger self also turned down moments later.

I walked right up the steps to the front door, turned the nob, and pushed the door open.

"Who the hell are you?!"

I looked up with some surprise at the short, grey haired elderly woman that sat in a recliner, staring at me with shock clear in her wide eyes.

In sudden confusion, I opened my mouth to speak, before my younger self stepped through me, and I realized Granny had been talking to him.

"Who the hell am I?!" Angel repeated with disbelief, pointing to himself before pointing at Granny. "Who the hell are you?!"

"You're the one trespassing in my house you little shit!" Granny shouted furiously, fumbling through the piles of newspapers that were on the end table next to her chair.

"Yeah well you left the door unlocked!"

"The lock is busted!"

"Well how was I supposed to know?!"

"What, you just take every unlocked door as an invitation?!"

"Life has many doors, Ed boy!"

"... What?!"

"Rolf! Man's a philosopher! Read up, bat! Get learnt!"

A small smile pulled at my lips as I watched the kid and the elderly bicker, Granny eventually pulling a baseball bat from her stack of papers and pointing it at little Angel threateningly.

"Get the hell out of my house!" She demanded, not standing from her chair as she shook that bat.

"Look Granny, I just need a few hours to make sure those goons are gone and then I'll be outta your hair." Angel peeked out from a window to watch the yard skeptically.

"What goons?" Granny furrowed her brows. "And don't call me Granny!"

"Wilkes brothers." Angel explained, not taking his eyes from the window.

"Are those the little punks with the stupid rusty truck?" Granny asked, using her bat like a cane to push herself to her feet and make her way over to the front window with Angel.

"The one with the confederate flag on the back?" Angel glanced back at Granny. "Yeah, that's them."

"I hate those kids!" Granny clenched one bony hand into a fist, shaking it at the window. "They're always driving around late at night with their obnoxiously loud truck!"

"Yeah well I got that stupid thing towed so we won't have to worry about it anymore." Angel smirked back at Granny. "'Cause you know those hillbillies don't have the money to get it back."

Granny looked pleasantly surprised, before she began laughing. "Well good on ya, brat! Maybe I _will_ let you stick around for a bit!"

"Rest is history." I finally spoke up, Anny looking back down to me from the scene. "Me n' the hag ended up getting along so well that I came back the next day. And they day after that. And the day after that."

The home was alight with different memories of all the time I'd spent here, from different times and in different spaces.

"I think Granny was lonely, that's why she was so open to basically raising me for three years." I walked through the many memories to the back deck of the home, opening the screen door and stepping out onto the wood. "And, I didn't really know it, but I think I was real lonely back then, too."

I watched my sixteen year self stand at the railing of the patio out to Granny's fenced in property with the old woman. Granny smiled over at him, and began to speak.

"... Y'know, Angel, you really don't belong in a place like this."

"What?" Angel asked with some confusion, turning his head to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"This city is a dumpster. Low lives and crooks left and right." Granny stared thoughtfully out at the little corner she'd found for herself in this trash pit of a city. "But you have a future, Angel. You aren't like the rest of us."

"Granny, you're... You're bein' weird..." Angel spoke with some concern in his voice.

"Promise me something." Granny reached over, and Angel's eyes darted to his hand as she put hers over it protectively. "You're too bright for this place. Promise me you'll get out of here."

"Well, yeah, Granny, I didn't really intend to spend my whole life in this-"

"Promise me Angel!" Granny clenched her hand around his and lowered her head, shadows casting over her eyes. "Promise me you'll get out of this hole as soon as possible and promise me you won't ever look back!"

"..." Angel stared at her, clearly shocked and bewildered by this strange attitude. But, slowly, he put an arm around her, hugging her to his chest comfortingly.

"... I promise."

"... I think she knew." I finally spoke as the memory faded from the deck, the house behind us going empty and dark as I stepped forward, placing my hands on the railing and looking out into the bland backyard.

"Knew what, Angel?" Anthony asked with some confusion.

Lightning struck. It looked like it might rain.

"... That she was gonna die tomorrow."

Anthony went silent. The two of us stared for another moment or two, before I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment, and then stepped back away from the railing, turning around and stepping back inside the now empty and abandoned house.

"I was all Granny had." I explained as I made my way back into the living room. "I didn't learn much about her past, but I know that it left her with no friends and no family."

I slowly stepped up to the one and only framed photo in the house, reaching out and gently lifting it from the TV stand where it stood.

"... Just some brat who couldn't even..." I wiped the dust from the glass of the frame, staring longingly at the picture inside.

It was of Granny and I, Granny holding me in a headlock and the both of us grinning happily at the camera.

"Couldn't even what?"

"..." My eyes narrowed painfully,and I slowly lifted my head, a deep frown appearing on my face.

If one looked over my shoulder, they would have seen the glowing red eyes in that pitch black hallway that loomed ominously off the living room.

* * *

Toe to toe. Knuckle to knuckle. Blade to blade.

Neither human was willing to give ground to the other, DETERMINATION flaring and wounds healing only to be reopened.

Chara cocked back a fist and slammed it into Frisk's cheek, and Frisk back flipped back, slamming their foot into Chara's chin as they did so.

The two both sprung back onto their hands, flipping back onto their feet and launching forward at one another.

Their fists slammed together, a red pulse firing out from their collision while they both locked hateful glares, just before darting back away from each other.

* * *

"Too slow, kid!" The Killer laughed as he side stepped Angel's heavy handed swing with that wooden baseball bat Granny had threatened him with the first time they met.

The Killer darted forward, cocking back one fist and slamming it into Angel's cheek, throwing his head back into the dry wall and denting it. Angel's baseball bat hit the ground, and he followed suit, crumpling pathetically after one punch.

"Sit tight kiddo." The Killer smiled down at Angel, spinning that butcher knife in his off hand. "I'll be back for ya."

I closed my eyes as The Killer made his way back to where Granny had been knocked down in that hallway, and took a deep breath as I heard her screams all over again. "... I wasn't strong enough."

I opened my eyes, and I looked over to where Angel could be seen grinding his teeth, indignant tears streaming down his face as he climbed to one knee, grabbing that baseball bat off the floor next to him.

The Killer walked back out from that hallway, now with blood splattered over his white skin and hair and a great big grin on his face.

Angel charged him, slamming his shoulder into The Killer's abdomen and carrying him to the screen door, the two slamming through it and tumbling out to the patio.

Angel rolled off of him, jumping to his feet and roaring furiously as he pulled that bat over his head and cracked it across the Killer's back while he climbed to one knee, making one intrigued ruby eye dart up to him.

The Killer jumped back to his feet and rammed his fist into Angel's jaw, making him stumble back against the railing, where the Killer planted a foot on his chest and kicked him right through the wood, sending him dropping a few feet flat onto his back.

"Come on brat, that all you've got?" The killer hopped off the ledge, and Angel screamed with agony as he landed one foot right on his rib cage, a series of cracks and snaps echoing throughout the area, muffled under the pouring rain.

Hands in my pockets, I followed emotionlessly out onto the deck, not feeling the rain hit my skin. I walked to that ledge and stared down, unflinching as I watched myself get beaten to a bloody pulp.

"Maybe if you weren't so weak, the little old lady wouldn't have had to die." The Killer mused while he ground his foot on the screaming Angel's ribs.

"Kill..! You..!" Angel dared snarl, digging his nails into The Killer's ankle even as blood trickled down his chin. "I'll..! Kill you..!"

"Yeah whatever you say brat." The Killer cocked back the foot he'd been using to crush Angel's ribs and kicked him upside the skull, knocking his head into the wet grass and making him go momentarily limp.

Hands in his pockets, The Killer casually stepped away from Angel, turning his back and beginning to walk away.

"... Give... Give her back..."

He paused, glancing over his shoulders with narrowed eyes that then widened as he found Angel managing to climb to his knee again, one hand over his burning abdomen and the other once again plucking that bat from the ground in his shaky grasp.

The Killer smiled, turning around to face Angel with a murderous gleam in his crimson eyes.

 **"Come take her."**

Angel launched up from the ground, swinging haphazardly at The Killer, who easily side stepped the swing, placing a hand on the back of Angel's head and smashing his knee into his broken ribs, making Angel hunch over and vomit blood onto his pant leg. The boy didn't let up, however, wrapping his arms around the Killer's leg and snapping his jaws down on his thigh, ripping viciously at his flesh like a rabid dog.

The Killer grit his teeth from the pain before cocking back one fist and smashing it into Angel's cheek, making him slump over and fall to his hands and knees, coughing a mouthful of crimson onto the dark green grass and glaring up at The Killer. Angel continued to push his failing body, trembling as he tried to get his heavy limps to lift him back to his feet.

"Why did you keep getting back up..?" Anthony tilted his head slowly to the side. "Weren't you in pain?"

"I was dying." I corrected blankly, unblinking eyes watching Angel grasp onto The Killer's shirt and use it to pull himself back to his spaghetti legs. "But I had to kill him. Even if it meant I would lose my life in the process."

"... Something inside you died today, didn't it, Angel?"

"..." I blinked my cold green eyes slowly. "Compassion. Care for anyone that wasn't myself. All my KINDNESS washed away."

The Killer laughed as all Angel could do was grab handfuls of his shirt, and Angel hatefully spat a mouthful of blood onto his smug face.

"... In it's place, DETERMINATION." My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and I watched as The Killer slammed a fist into Angel's chin once again, sending him falling flat on his back and his limbs sprawling out at his sides.

His green eyes gradually glossed over to where that bat lay, and just as he managed to get his fingers to inch towards the wood, the Killer dropped one knee down on his bicep, making Angel scream with agony as his arm was snapped like a twig.

"You've got potential, kid. I'll give ya that." The Killer grinned wickedly as he leaned over Angel. Angel snapped his jaws ferociously at him, though his body refused to budge too much else. "But right now, you're weak."

"And guess what?" The Killer smiled devilishly as he knelt at Angel's side, grabbing a fistful of his hair and shaking his head back and forth by it mockingly.

 **"Weak people die when they fight strong people."**

The Killer stood back up, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking down at Angel, who even now managed to glare up at him.

"So go on, hold onto your life with everything you've got. And if you survive, become strong." The Killer turned his back on Angel again. "And then, when you're ready..."

He looked over his shoulder, grinning chaos from ear to ear as psychosis gleamed in his eye.

"Come kill me."

The Killer hopped up onto the deck, and I didn't flinch as he walked right through me, continuing into that home and phasing out of existence.

I hopped down to the ground, looking over my younger self without much of an expression.

"I can't imagine what was going through your head..." Anthony said, and I just continued to stare at my own broken body for another few moments.

"Not much. Just five words." My eyes narrowed, jaw clenching as I watched Angel stare blankly up into the sky. The pouring rain washed the blood from him, chilling his dying body and numbing his screaming limbs.

"Five words?" Anthony tilted his head to the side with confusion.

My fists were white knuckled at my sides, and I took a deep breath before repeating the thought that had changed me for keeps.

 ** _"I don't want to die."_**

"..." Anthony paused, the two of us watching the illusion fade away. We were once more just standing in an empty backyard. There was no longer any rain or any sign that it had been there. "What happened next? How did you survive?"

"Eventually I passed out." I turned around, walking back up the steps of the patio and towards the wide open screen door. "I guess somebody must've heard the screams and called the police, and they found me."

"I was in a coma for around a week." I closed the screen door behind me, not looking anywhere but forward as I made my way through the shell of Granny's home towards the front door. "When I woke up, my arm was in a cast and I was on painkillers."

"A broken arm, three busted ribs, some damaged organs and internal bleeding." I pulled open the front door, stepping out to the front porch. "I was on the shelf for about six months."

"That's a dangerous amount of thinking time."

"Mhm." I agreed with a nod. "By the time I was finished with rehab and back to full health, I'd made up my mind. I was gonna abandon this place. Parents, home, everything. Just like I promised Granny, I was gonna leave this shit hole and never look back."

"And yet here you are. Back again."

"... Things change." My eyes drifted up to the sky. "I'd think my story shows that pretty well."

"So what was your plan?"

"Well, over the years I'd taken a bit of an interest in technology, from mechanics to things like..." I glanced to the side, furrowing my brows as I attempted to think of an example.

"Hacking?"

"Bingo." I snapped my fingers, making a finger gun up at Anny. "So I planned to use those skills to cheat, lie, and steal everything I could outta this place until I had enough money to find where I belonged."

"And how'd that go?"

"Eh." I shrugged casually while I walked down that sidewalk. "Some hacked cameras, some emptied ATMs, nothin' too major. Just enough to attract the right attention."

"The right attention?"

Suddenly the world shifted around us, and we were standing at the center of a graveyard, a kneeling Angel before us. His back was to us, and he appeared to be setting some flowers before a tombstone.

A shadow fell over Angel, and he glared over his shoulder at the well dressed teen that stood behind him. The young man had redish black hair and perfect posture, hands behind his back. He wore a red on black suit and tie.

"Ol' money bags Xander." I explained, watching Angel and this other man speak for a few moments, before Xander extended one hand, and Angel smirked lightly, reaching out and taking it. "AKA The Gatherer."

"And what did he want from you?"

"Was assembling a little team of the best trash he could find in our dumpster city." I shrugged, that graveyard fading and the two of us once more standing on the pavement. Well, I was. Anny was still on my shoulders. "Apparently he had some inheritance that a few greedy family members were keeping from him. So he enlisted some help with the promise of payment as soon as we helped him get that inheritance."

"There are rich people in our crummy home town?"

"There's one chunk'a the city that has all the wealth." I explained casually while we walked. "So there's a few blocks of nice gated community surrounded by a range of lower middle class to slums, leading closer to slums."

"So what was the jobs of these team members?"

"The Hacker to shut down the security systems, The Predator to get inside and find a path around security for The Anarchist, who does the... Real dirty work."

"People were dying and you were letting it happen?"

"If you consider rich people real people." I shrugged thoughtlessly. "Lucky for me, I don't."

"Weren't you trying to become rich?"

"Mhm." I nodded, and when Anthony paused and scratched his head with confusion, I arched a brow up at him. "... What?"

"..." Anthony opened his mouth to speak, but clearly thought better of it, shaking his head. "So what happened next?"

"Well, we had a mansion full'a corpses and all the money to make the crooked cops turn a blind eye to it." My eyes drifted up to the sky as I walked, wearing a thoughtful expression. "But we found ourselves in a pretty great position."

"And what was that?"

"Well, we were in the one protected part of the city: The part with the money. From there, with the wealth we had stolen back and stained with blood in the process, we could run the outside of the gates." I glanced across the street to the clean and tidy metal fence that starkly contrasted the filthy streets we walked upon. "This dumpster would be ours to control."

"And did you do it?"

"Yup." I spoke carelessly, looking ahead once more. "We amassed goons on the outside of the gates to do most of the work under Gatherer's careful guidance. It was easy to do with all the money we had at our disposal."

"Drug trade, money, all came through us. Within two years our gang owned this place." Reality shifted, and suddenly we were standing at the bottom of the steps leading up to some mansion in that gated, pretentious rich people zone we'd set up camp in.

"But why? Why did each of you choose this life?"

"Well Xander and I wanted power." I made my way up the steps to the looming front doors. "Lexi and Anarchy had nowhere else to go."

I pushed open the doors, stepping out into an almost lobby like room that connected hallways and staircases alike. "We actually... Got along pretty well."

Suddenly I could see two figures standing at opposite ends of the lobby, The Hacker and the Anarchist. Neither said a word, emerald and ruby eyes locked together.

"Well... Most of us did."

"..." Anny looked down at the top of my head. "What was it like seeing what was left of me after you abandoned me?"

"... Well, Anarchy claimed he didn't remember me." I shot a glance over at the still albino as I walked by, towards the staircase at the back of the lobby. His eyes, once warm now frozen over. He never smiled, not like he used to. Either a frown or that... That fucking grin. That grin that displayed just how much of a monster he'd become.

All my fault.

"But, like I said, you've always been a terrible liar." I put one foot on the first step. "That much didn't change. It was obvious he remembered me from how much he hated me."

"So, that's how your relationship was with Anarchy..." Anny paused, looking over his shoulder at his older self thoughtfully before he continued. "What about Xander and Lexi?"

"Me n' G got along pretty well." I climbed to the top of the steps, turning right and beginning to walk down the long hallways of the upstairs. "The guy is pretty personable and has pockets full'a charisma. If I was an idiot, I probably would've fallen for his mind games and been easily manipulated. But I think he got the vibe from me pretty quick that I was a little too smart for that, so he didn't test me."

"And Lexi?"

I gripped the door nob at the end of the hallway, pushing it open and revealing another memory in a room lit only in blueish whites by the stacks of computer monitors.

"So you're that Hacker guy G's been on about, huh?" Predator crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the back of Hacker's head. He was facing the monitors, but spun his computer chair around to face her after a moment of key clicking.

"You don't look like I thought you'd look..." Lexi stroked her imaginary beard, narrowing her eyes as she leaned closer to get a better look at Angel. "Don't really fit the genius bill Gatherer talked you up to be."

"Yeah well you don't really fit the four pronged mouth alien bounty hunter bill Gatherer built _you_ up to be, either." Angel shrugged with a bland expression.

"Haha!" Predator laughed, leaning back and getting out of Angel's face. "You're funny. What's your name, anyway?"

"Angel." The Hacker answered casually, smirking lightly with the achievement he felt from a joke landing successfully. And on a girl, no less.

"Angel, huh?" Lexi said thoughtfully, before extending her hand out for a handshake quite eagerly. "Nice to meet'cha! They call me The Predator! My name is Lexi!"

"I thought she was hot, she thought I was funny." I shrugged casually as the memory faded, leaving the two of us in a dark room. "A few months into crime syndicate life, we were dating."

"What?" Anthony furrowed his brows with confusion. "I thought you said you didn't care about people at this point?"

"I didn't." I blinked my empty eyes at the blank monitors.

"But, why would you date someone if you didn't really like them?" Anthony tilted his head to the side, still looking plenty confused.

"... I, think I was bored." My eyes glossed to the side. "I wanted to see what being in a relationship would be like for curiosity's sake, which, saying out loud, kinda makes me sound like a dick, but... I just really didn't understand much about other people's feelings back then."

The room was alight with another memory, displaying Angel sitting at his computer chair, which Lexi leaned on the back of, watching over his shoulder as he played Undertale on the screen directly in front of him.

"I don't get it, Angel." Lexi furrowed her brows with confusion. "You're just a little heart dodging bullets. How is this enjoyable?"

"It isn't about the gameplay. It's about the story, Lex." Angel shook his head with joking disappointment. "You're never gonna be an elite gamer gurl if you keep up that attitude."

Predator rolled her eyes, but smiled some at his joke.

"I just don't get how you can have played the same game so many times, over and over." Lexi shook her head lightly. "Aren't there supposed to be different ends? Why do you always do the same one?"

"Are you suggesting I do a genocide?" Angel spoke with shock, looking over his shoulder at her and placing a hand over his chest.

"Yeah. I mean wouldn't you get to fight the little glowy eyed skeleton the internet rants and raves about?" Predator cocked a brow down at him. "Sounds like a good way to experience the game to me."

"Wow Anarchy when did you get in the room?" Angel responded sarcastically, making Lexi snerk and give him a playful shove.

"... It's, not that I didn't care about her." I took a step closer to the illusion, eyes narrowing painfully. "She was fun and made me laugh and I liked being around her."

"But?"

"... But she needed more than I could give."

The memory shifted, and suddenly footsteps were echoing down the dark hallway towards the room, where The Hacker sat alone in his chair. He looked over his shoulder, cocking a brow into the darkness.

As Lexi stepped into view, he smiled lightly, spinning around in his chair, momentarily not taking note of the fact that her head was down, her long black hair falling over her face.

"Wassup Pred-" His eyes widened as he heard her sniffle sharply, concern overtaking his expression as he stood from his computer chair, stepping closer towards her.

"Whoa, Lexi, what's wrong?" He skeptically put a hand on her shoulder, tilting his head to the side.

"... Angel..." She spoke quietly, not looking up and not seeming to have the strength to. "Am I a bad person..?"

"What..?" He tilted his head to the side in confusion, which slowly overtook his expression. "Where's this comin' from, Lex..?"

She didn't speak, she just slowly stepped forward, reaching out and wrapping her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder for comfort.

"Uh..." He glanced from side to side, looking to be contemplating, before slowly returning the hug, smoothing her long hair with his hand to comfort her.

"Lexi never had anybody. She spent the majority of her life as a street rat, stealing to survive." I explained while I watched the two embrace before me. "She needed someone who would really care about her and value her and I... I just wasn't that person."

"..." Anthony watched Angel and Lexi take a seat on the twin sized bed in the corner of the room, Angel keeping a hand on her back while she explained whatever horrible feelings she must have been dealing with. "Are you sure that you didn't care about her in that way, Angel?"

"..." I narrowed my eyes at the floor in silent contemplation of Anny's words. "... How could I have, Anny?"

The memory ended, and the room went abruptly dark.

"I'm the one who got her killed."

...

Anny didn't seem to have a response for a long minute. A long minute in which we stood in the empty darkness.

"... Did she know it was your fault?"

"No." I looked up, and we were suddenly back in the lobby of the mansion. "But Anarchy did."

It was night in the lobby. Angel was asleep on the single couch against the wall of the large room. I remembered that I had a lot of trouble sleeping in those days, and would often pass out whenever and wherever exhaustion finally struck.

The Hacker was stirred from his restless sleep, however, when the light of the kitchen flicked on, reaching across the lobby and striking his eyes, making him shift some while his eyelids fluttered.

A pale figure appeared in the entrance to the kitchen, holding a plate of something that Angel didn't care to recognize, throwing an arm up to shield his eyes while they attempted to adjust, squinting at the young man in the light. "... Anarchy?"

"... Didn't mean to wake you up." The Anarchist spoke emotionlessly, blinking those ruby eyes at his former friend. "Go back to sleep, we've got an important mission tomorrow and we can't afford you falling asleep at the screens."

"Then what are you doing up..?" Angel slowly sat up, rubbing one eye with his fist.

"None'a your business." Anarchy answered clearly and coldly, flicking off the light behind himself and dimming the lobby back to moonlight as he began to make his way to one of the two hallways by the staircase to the upstairs.

Angel furrowed his brows, lowering his eyes to the tile floor while his hands slowly clenched into fists against the knees of his jeans.

"... Anthony..?"

Anarchy stopped, glaring over his shoulder at Angel, his expression souring significantly. "Hacker, I already told you not to-"

"Do you ever feel bad about it..?" Angel cut him off, not lifting his head. "Do you ever just lay down and think about all the mistakes you've made?"

Anarchy's eyes narrowed, but his expression softened some. Barely, but some.

"Just... Sit around and kick yourself for the people you've left behind and let down and stabbed in the back and-..." Angel clenched his eyes shut tight, biting his tongue.

"... Sorry. I'm, probably barking up the wrong tree here."

Anarchy was silent for a few long moments, just staring back back at The Hacker with an unreadable expression.

"... Go to bed, Angel."

Angel's eyes widened some as Anarchy referred to him by his first name, something he hadn't done since the two were children. He lifted his head, but found that Anarchy had already disappeared into the darkness of that hallway, and the glimmer of hope disappeared from his eye.

"... Truly, my life is made up by chilling moments with albinos in dark hallways." I joked without much enthusiasm, watching the memory fade.

"But how did he know?"

"I can't be sure, but... The next day, when him and Lexi were leaving for the trap I'd laid, he just..." I lowered my head, shaking it slowly. "Looked at me. Like he knew I was up to something. Like he knew I was gonna abandon him all over again. Like he was saying "I know. I can't prove what I know to everyone else, but I know.""

"I'm sure that when shit went south, he knew exactly who to blame." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"And, what exactly _did_ you do, Angel?"

"..." I looked up, and we were back on the street. "I stabbed all three of them in the back. I saw the opportunity to get out of this place like I promised, and I used their lives to pay the bus fair."

"Y'see, whenever we had to do something in person, it was The Anarchist and The Predator that went. They had combat skills that me n' Gatherer didn't, and we were much too important to go into possibly dangerous situations." I began to walk again, swallowing the disgust I felt towards my previous actions. "So I cut a deal with a rival gang."

"I set up the fake negotiation for Anarchy and Lexi and some other throw away goons to go to, where they would no doubt be ambushed and murdered." I stared blankly ahead while I walked, not expressing the guilt and regret that swirled inside me. "Meanwhile, I opened the gates of our rich white people utopia and let down the security systems at the mansion after giving them our address and paying off the police."

"And no one suspected anything of you?"

"I was Lexi's boyfriend, so I'm sure she never saw me murdering her coming. I'd played nice and obedient under Gatherer for two years, just feeding his ego until he let his guard down." I blinked my cold eyes. "And Anarchy didn't trust me, but he had no way of proving just why or how I would screw them all over."

"So you got these people to trust you, just to toss them away. All for what?"

"Money." I spoke casually. "I threw as many stacks'a hundred dollar bills from Gatherer's safe into my backpack as I could, and then I walked right out the back door. No one suspected a thing, and the only three people in the organization that knew my face were as good as dead."

"..." Anthony was silent, staring ahead with wide eyes. "Angel, that's... That's horrible. How could you do something like that?"

"To get stronger." I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "I had those same nothing cronies that went with Anarchy and Predator to die taking money and burying it outside the city in secret and in exchange for a cut of the stolen cash. That's why they were selected as the 'backup' for those two. Because they were more loose ends that had to be tied."

"That's a very polite way of saying you had to sacrifice them like lambs so that you could leave."

"I believed I had to become strong. In our world that meant getting lots money and freedom and being ruthless enough to use it." The world shifted around us, and we were suddenly walking through a wheat field on the outskirts of that horrible city. "When I left the mansion, I already had a window tinted, plate-less car waiting just a block away from the gated community that I escaped. These things are easy to get when you own an entire city. I took that out to these fields, where the rest of my money was buried in an abandoned barn."

Anthony looked up, seeing that very barn looming in the middle of the field. It was a faded red, it's roof having caved in and its walls slumping lazily.

"... But, there was somebody waiting for me when I got there."

We watched as another vision from the past began, Angel pausing a few yards from the entrance of the barn, watching as The Killer walked from it, clapping slowly and condescendingly.

"... You."

"It's been a long time, runt. You've certainly grown from the little punk I left in the rain."

I blinked my tired eyes, and a small smile formed at this particular memory. "Lucky for me, I'd figured I should keep a gun on me for any... Unexpected visitors."

"I came to congratulate you, my little Angel." He smiled, ivory hair falling over his face as he tilted his head to the side. The crimson eyes of The Killer settled upon Angel, and he did not flinch. "I was just too proud not to."

"I mean, tossing all your friends to the hounds, using them until they served no more purpose and then lining your pockets with their blood!" The Killer laughed, eyes wide with disbelief as he threw his hands out to the sides. "You've become so perfectly RUTHLESS!"

"I still don't know how he knew of everything I'd done. Maybe he really was God." I shrugged casually. "Not that it mattered."

BANG.

"Guh..!" The Killer stumbled back, jaw clenching and eye twitching as he grabbed his now bleeding shoulder. His eyes darted from his new wound back to Angel, and he took a step back.

"N-now you see, this is what I saw in you Angel." The Killer spoke, though cold sweat was now beading down his forehead. "You're so-!"

"Shut up."

BANG.

"You're not blinking, not hesitating in the slightest." Anny pointed out. "You don't even care that you're taking someone's life."

"I didn't care about anyone or anything. Least, that's what I told myself." I stuffed my hands in my pockets, feeling a disgusting amusement in watching the Killer die all over again. "It felt good to get revenge for what he'd done to my Granny. Feels good watching it again."

"..." Anthony furrowed his brows, looking down at me. "That's kinda messed up Angel. You killed a dude."

"Yeah, well," I pointed to the scene, letting my past self finish my sentence for me.

"I don't give a damn. You killed my Granny."

BANG.

The Killer dropped back, blood and grey matter oozing out from the nine millimeter hole in the front and back of his skull.

"... And what happened next?"

"Well," The world shifted, and we were watching Angel throw duffel bags of money into the trunk of a black van. "I finished up loading my profit,"

Angel sighed with exhaustion, slamming the trunk shut and then beginning to walk towards the drivers seat.

"... And then I fell down a hole."

The ground under Angel tore open in a strange interdimensional hole, and he dropped right through, his scream being cut short as the portal closed behind him.

". . ." Anthony blinked his wide eyes. "Well that was anticlimactic."

"Yup." I let my eyes fall to the ground, which switched back to that sidewalk. "I did all that terrible stuff, killed all those people, and it was all for nothing. If I had scheduled it all just _one_ day later, no one would have gotten hurt and I still would have gotten out of that place."

"So..." Anthony cocked a brow as we walked, the world shifting around us. On our left was a freeze frame of Angel holding that gun to The Killer's head. "How did you go from _this_ ,"

He gestured from the left over to the right, where there was a freeze frame of me grinning happily up at Chara despite the blood streaming down my chin, Chara's face reflecting clear shock and turmoil.

"To _this_?"

"..." I stared over at the scene of my death with longing eyes, taking a deep breath before the vision faded. "I... Really love Undertale."

"Playing that game, befriending each of those happy little characters, it... It made me feel like I wasn't so terrible." I smiled sadly, looking down at my feet as I continued walking. "Like I didn't have to be so awful to get ahead. Like there was... Some kind of happy ending for me."

"That connection with the characters combined with all the care that each of them came to show for me..." I reached up, gripping the tear in my shirt. "... Well. They made sacrificing myself easy."

"Oh, we're here!"

I stopped in my tracks, eyes widening with sudden horror as I realized that we were, in fact, right outside of Anny's house, standing at the end of the driveway.

Anthony began to try to climb from my shoulders, and I didn't take my haunted eyes from that home even as I thoughtlessly reached up and lifted him from me, setting him on the ground but not letting go of his hand.

Anthony smiled up at me, and as he let go of my hand a sudden bolt of agony struck my heart, which had been in a dull ache this entire trip down memory lane.

"Thanks for walking me home, Angel." Anthony grinned that big happy smile, but even the innocence in my best friend's expression couldn't stop the bottomless pit that was opening in my stomach.

"You should head back now. They really need you back at your home, you know." Anthony's grin shrunk to a knowing smile, and the shadow of my hair fell over my eyes for just a moment. "I'm sorry for keeping you out so late."

"... W-wait, Anny." I dropped to one knee to be closer to eye level with Anthony, who furrowed his brows curiously at me.

"What if... What if I don't go back." I asked, desperation shining in my eyes. "What if I stayed here? W-with, with you?"

"... Angel, you know my mom never let us have sleep overs at my house." Anthony puffed out his cheeks, squinting at me. "And your friends ne-"

"But you don't have to be afraid of her anymore!" I reached out with one hand, and could see it trembling there. "I-I'm bigger now! I'm strong now! I can protect you now!"

"Angel..."

"This time..!" My eyes were wide to help my vision, which was getting blurry. My eyes felt hot. "This time I can save you!"

"... You could have saved me last time." Anthony's lips drooped sadly, and his eyes lowered, like he couldn't even look at me...

"... A-... Anny..." My hand dropped to the ground, my jaw ajar as a single tear slipped down my face, cupping my cheek in a stream of sorrow.

"P-please, everything got so messed up after you were gone..." I clenched my eyes shut tight, dropping to both knees before him. "I just want things to go back the way they were... I want to save you, please I... I can't just sit by and let her..."

"You already did."

I dropped down to my elbows, bowing before a child while regretful tears streaked down my face.

"... Please... I'm not ready to leave you again..." I whimpered, resting my forehead on the ground. "... Can't we just go back to the playground..?"

"Can't... Can't things just be the way they were before..?"

"Angel..." Anthony looked down at me with sorrow in his eyes, and he took a deep breath. "... If you could have a super power, what would it be?"

"H-huh..?" I sniffled lifting my head to look up at him as the streams of tears slowed to a stop.

"What would you want, Angel?" Anthony tilted his head to the side.

"Anny, I've..." My eyes glossed to the side with confusion. "I've already told you that..."

"But _you_ seem to have forgotten." Anthony crossed his arms over his chest.

"..." I lowered my head again, sniffling.

"Tell me Angel. Tell me what you've always wanted more than anything."

"... Flight..." I eventually managed to speak, eyes narrowing at the dirt I grovelled in. "I, I always wanted wings..."

"And why do you want that so bad?" Anny arched a brow.

"..." My hands clenched in the dirt. "So I can fly away from this place..."

"Then why do you want to stay now?"

"... Because you're here..." I clenched my eyes shut tight, left over tears dripping from my face.

"I was here before, and you still wanted to leave."

"... Yeah, well, that was before I knew how shitty my life was gonna get and," I opened my eyes, looking to the side. "... Before I realized how great things were when I was with you."

"It didn't look to me like your life was that great, even when we were little kids." Anthony frowned some, and I looked up to him with surprise. "In fact earlier you were telling me just how much dealing with your parents alone traumatized you."

"..." I got off my hands, leaning back on my knees and looking contemplatively to the side.

"Besides, things actually seem to be looking up for you now." The corner of Anny's lips curved up in a small smirk. "You've gotten a fresh start, made amazing friends, done so many good things..."

"... What does it matter now?" My eyes narrowed bitterly. "I'm dead."

"Angel you could have come back any time and you know it." Anny rolled his eyes. "Why are you waiting?"

"..." I hesitated, before speaking. "I, don't wanna kill Chara. I knew I'd lose from the start because of that. And I figured that, maybe seeing me die might be the only way to get them to see things differently."

"So you sacrificed your future for theirs."

I nodded slowly, lowering my head. "... Yes."

"You're on the right track, Angel." Anthony smiled lightly, almost like he was... Proud of me. "But they still need something more. They need a friend, and you're the only one they've got."

I lowered my head, shutting my eyes tight.

"They need you Angel. Everyone does."

I hesitated, hands clenching to anxious fists at my sides.

"... I'm scared..."

"Scared?" Anthony repeated with confusion.

"... Scared that I might let them down." I explained, shoulders sinking and eyes staring at the ground, unable to look Anny in the eye.

"That someone will end up like you or Granny or Lexi or any of the other poor bastards who have made the mistake of getting close to me. I'm scared that I'll stab them in the back, that I'll go back to being a bad person and I-..." I paused the onslaught of words that had exploded out of the bottle I'd shoved them into, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "I can't do that again... I can't handle anymore regrets..."

"Then you won't become that person again."

"Huh..?" My eyes darted back up to Anny, who was smiling like it was obvious.

"If you're so terrified of becoming that person again that you would actually rather _die_ , I don't think there's any way you will." Anny shook his head, laughing lightly at how silly he thought I was being. "I think you're changed for good Angel."

"... Oh. Huh." The surprise left my face, and I puffed out my left cheek with thought. "That's, actually, a really good point."

Anthony smiled proudly at that, nodding once before he began speaking again.

"So tell me, Angel, what is it that you want more than anything else in the world?"

I looked to the ground, hesitating as my jaw clenched. "... Wings..."

"And why do you want wings Angel? Why do you wish so desperately to fly?"

My hands tightened into fists, and I felt something reigniting. "So I can fly away from this place..!"

"Yes!" Anthony exclaimed excitedly, clenching his fists in front of himself. "And will you ever return to this wretched life?"

"No!" I climbed back to one knee, looking to Anthony with a red DETERMINATION gleaming in my left eye. "I'll fly and I won't ever look back!"

"Not for me?!" Anny put a hand on his chest, that same intensity burning in his eyes as well.

"Not for you!" I pushed easily back to my feet, shaking my head.

"Not for Granny?!" Anthony pointed up at me, and I furiously shook my head.

"Not for anyone!" I stomped my foot, and suddenly crimson embers sparked to life over my left eye. My green iris shifted to red, and the flame of my DETERMINATION exploded to life around that eye.

Anny outstretched one hand, and in it that little silver bell manifested, the fire in my eyes reflecting in it.

"Then ring the bell, Angel!" Anthony demanded, intensity burning in his eyes like they did mine. "Sprout your wings and fly away from this place!"

My eyes narrowed at that bell, but my nerve held strong, and I clenched my jaw as I reached out, gripping the bell's handle with one strong hand.

 _Ring..._

 _Ring..._

 _Ring..._

I felt my clothing shift, and my eyes widened over my shoulder as my shirt ripped open from the back, beautiful inky black wings spreading wide before veins of ruby DETERMINATION illuminated them, like a bone structure that they formed around.

"Anny..." I slowly looked back down to Anthony with an honest smile on my face. A single tear slipped down my cheek. "Thank you."

"Go make things right, Angel." Anthony smiled right back up at me. "I know you can do it."

"You're not... Really Anthony, are you?" I tilted my head to the side, smirking a little down at him. "I don't think Anny knew words like anticlimactic and wretched when we were kids."

"I'm what you remember him as." Anny smiled the sweet, innocent smile that had illuminated my childhood. "I hope that's enough."

I nodded a few times, before looking up to the sky. For once, those filthy clouds were parting and showing the beautiful blue sky I'd dreamed of.

I looked back to Anny, and I felt a sense of contentment wash over me.

"Goodbye, Anthony."

"Goodbye Angel."

My wings flapped, and a gust of wind exploded out around me, sending me firing high into the sky, racing up towards that part in the clouds.

* * *

Chara and Frisk glared at one another from opposite ends of the plateau, panting and pointing those knives at one another.

 _Ring..._

 _Ring..._

 _Ring..._

They both paused, eyes looking and heads turning to find the source of the sound of some odd bell ringing.

 _Archangel_ by _Two Steps From Hell_ began playing.

But, after finding nothing, Frisk and Chara both looked back to one another, and just as they were preparing to launch at one another, the air seemed to pressurize, and they both snapped their heads to the side as a pillar of crimson energy exploded high into the sky, lighting the darkness in red DETERMINATION.

Chara and Frisk each threw one arm up to guard their eyes from the billowing winds, which sent the rubble from their fight blasting through the air and into the distance.

Chara's pupils shrunk in utter shock, watching Cter's body slowly rise in this crimson tornado of DETERMINATION. His eyes remained closed as red shards of soul began to race up from the ground where they'd landed to right in front of his ripped open chest, which was rapidly sealing itself.

As his soul reformed, ruby lines of DETERMINATION began to run like glowing veins across his flesh, that red heart rapidly piecing back together as he levitated above the ground, his hands out to his sides.

Consciousness returned, and I clenched my fists just as my soul was put back together, sending shining red lines blasting through its cracks and welding them shut. The moment it was complete my eyes snapped open wide, and another shock wave of power exploded out across the plateau, making both Frisk and Chara slide back across the wet grass.

My left eye ignited with DETERMINED flames, and my tattered shirt was ripped open in the back, sending it falling from me and revealing my now scarred over abdomen, along with the bright shining Delta Rune on my back, which was facing the monsters on the other side of the barrier behind me.

I clenched my fists in front of myself while my wings spread wide behind me. I ground my teeth then as the waves of red energy that were exploding out around me began to condense back towards me, that red pillar being sucked back into my soul in a crimson vortex.

Both Frisk and Chara planted their feet, straining to keep from flying towards me with all the DETERMINATION that I was sucking back into my soul.

Then, after all the red faded, and my feet hit the ground, I threw my arms out to the sides, and one final shock wave of crimson blasted out around me, slamming into Chara and Frisk and throwing the both of them off their feet. The music stopped.

Chara landed on their butt, but didn't notice any pain as they stared across the plateau at me with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

The clouds had opened above me, and sunlight shun down over me as I smirked lightly, fists dropping to my sides and those ink wings spread wide behind me. The red lines faded out from my skin.

 ***The Angel Appears.**

Chara was utterly speechless, slowly climbing to their feet without ever taking their wide eyes off me. They looked like they really weren't sure if I was real.

"So, Chara." My voice rang clear and confident as I stood in the sun, looking out into the cold and rain in which they'd condemned themself.

 **"You totally missed me, didn'tcha?"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	21. Chapter 21: Take Flight

**Alright, so this will be the last update until the Sunday after next Sunday. I'm taking a little break to get my thoughts together for what's next and to get back on the weekly schedule.**

 **Also, I would like to address something. I know I have a habit of getting annoying about reviewing, and I know I do have plenty of people who review every chapter. And I really appreciate those people because their reviews make me really happy and keep me motivated to continue this story. But, I also know that every chapter gets a couple hundred views, and this this story has over a hundred favorites and follows. That means that there are a whole lot of consistent readers who aren't reviewing. And I understand that it isn't always easy to formulate your thoughts into a review, but it also isn't easy to make a 15,000 word chapter in four days. And while I do adore long detailed reviews, you do not have to leave one of those. Just tell me what you think. Even if it's just a few words. Hell, 10burgers literally just reviewed with the letter F last chapter. I know that you might not want to or might not feel confident in your review and think that it's dumb, but I promise I appreciate every word of every review. I write this story because it makes me happy to see others experiencing my ideas, but I don't see you guys experiencing anything if you don't tell me _something_. **

**I apologize if I sound greedy or unappreciative of the reviews I do get, it's just that it bothers me not knowing what a lot of you are thinking. So, if you could please take the time to leave your thoughts, positive or negative, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time, and please enjoy the chapter.**

 **Thanks go to fergusans18, Wingah, WhoWritesThisCrap, Allegenda-domsitzers-chan, BadDRUMMERboy15, Loyal Fan, 10burgers, Jack54311, Skele, Andyfire123, and NBoss01.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"You totally missed me, didn'tcha?"

The clouds were dissipating now, pouring rains slowing to a gentle drizzle as sunlight once more sent those gorgeous colors spreading over the fading clouds. The sun was disappearing, however, stars beginning to shine with the full moon in the gradually darkening sky.

"... Hm." Chara scoffed with some amusement, and they reached up with their thumb, wiping the stream of black running down their chin away. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"Knew ya would." I began walking with purpose across what remained of our battlefield, keeping my eyes locked on them. I stopped, however, when I reached Frisk, and I smiled over at them.

"Cter, this... T-this is amazing..." A smile was clear on their exhausted face, and they stepped closer, shaking their head with disbelief. "I mean, the wings and, the pillar of light and the, ripped off shirt, and you're _honestly a lot more fit than I imagined you to be_ and... How did you..?"

"Well..." I nodded slowly, eyes drifting down while I confirmed my thoughts. "I came to terms with some stuff about myself and, I came to the conclusion that it's not my style to just throw in the towel and die."

"And then a bell rang," I smirked back up to Frisk, shrugging with one arm. "And an Angel got his wings."

"..." My eyes darted to the side with a sudden thought, before darting back to Frisk. "My real name is Angel, by the way. I realize now you were unconscious when I revealed that. Sorry about that by the way."

"What's important now is that I'm here, you're alive, and if we work together there's no way Chara can win!" Frisk smirked confidently, but their eyes narrowed when they watched hesitation overcome my expression.

"... Yeah, about that." Hesitation disappeared, and I looked to Frisk with honesty in my eyes. "I think you should sit this one out. Fighting isn't your thing Frisk. And this whole blood soaked brandishing a knife look you got goin' on... It doesn't suit you."

"Cter, I know I said I would be a pacifist from now on, but this is _Chara_." Frisk held their hands out in front of themself as they pleaded. "You know what they've-"

"Frisk, you didn't just say you would be a pacifist from now on." I crossed my arms, raising my eyebrows at them. "You promised me you would lay down your weapon and never gain LOVE again. Those are the grounds on which I spared your life, remember?"

"I-!" Frisk was quick to hesitate, their raised finger clenching back into a fist. "... Yeah, I remember..."

"Then go take a breather Frisk." I smiled, reaching out and putting a hand on their shoulder. "I promise I'm not gonna die. I've got a better idea this time around."

"... I know what you're planning, Cter." Frisk narrowed their eyes, a frown appearing on their face. "It won't work. Chara is irredeemable."

"..." I looked back towards Chara, taking my hand from Frisk's shoulder. "How'd they react when I died?"

"..." Frisk sighed, clenching their eyes shut as they caught on to what point I was making. "They, sobbed. Hysterically."

A smirk pulled up the corners of my mouth, and red once more burst to life in a flame over my left eye.

"That's all I needed to know."

 **Chapter 21: Take Flight**

 _"You're so good at being sincere."_

* * *

"So you've returned from death only to challenge me again?" Chara tilted their head to the side as I approached, wings folded on my back and hands in my pockets. "You really are an idiot."

"Cut the shit, Chara." I narrowed my eyes, frown pulling down the corners of my mouth. "We both know you don't want me dead and I don't want to fight you."

"It doesn't matter what we want!" Chara snarled, throwing their arm out to their side. "Don't you get it? This is how it has to be!"

"No it isn't." I spoke sternly, eyes narrowing as the flames of my left crackled and swayed.

"I understand now, Cter. _You_ are weakness. You are the one thing holding me back, and I am the one thing holding you back." Chara's eyes narrowed, knuckles whitening around the handle of their knife. "If one of us is going to get stronger, the other has to die!"

"I don't care about getting stronger!" I stomped one foot forward, hands clenching into fists at my sides. "You're my friend and I'm not gonna kill you!"

"It's either you or me, Cter!" Chara bent at the knees, tensing as they prepared to strike. "Whether we like it or not one of us is going to die!"

I squinted my emerald and ruby eyes at them, expression hardening some. "It doesn't have to be like this."

"Yes! It! Does!" With that Chara launched off the ground, firing across the plateau at me and leading with that knife.

Just as they reached me, their knife was forced to a stop, and they growled with exertion as I held their wrist in a vice grip, slowly pulling their knife away from my face and glaring down into their eyes.

"Could you..! Give that back..?!" Chara spoke through gritting teeth as they pulled on their arm, my grip unyielding. "I need it to murder you..!"

"Why don't you wake up?" I demanded to know, red soul appearing on my chest. "You're hurting people. What have they ever done to you?"

Chara snarled furiously, slamming their fist into my cheek. They smirked at first upon seeing their punch land, but their smirk instantly shifted to a frown when they realized I was unphased, head tilted to the side and burning left eye locking back on to them.

"I can't let you take your unhappiness out on other people any more." I threw their arm out to the side, making them stumble back.

"What are you talking about?!" Chara demanded to know furiously, regaining their footing. "I fight to get more powerful! The weak die and the strong survive, that is the rule of this life!"

"Fine Chara, we'll play by your rules!" I clenched my fists to my sides as my wings suddenly unfolded, a blast of wind firing out around me and slamming into Chara, their eyes widening as they were knocked off balance and sent skidding on their heels back across the mud. "LETS GO!"

My wings flapped, sending me racing forward at Chara while I cocked back one fist. They threw up their arms in an X at the last second, being thrown off their feet and wincing from the force of my punch's collision. They launched back through the air, but spun back, landing on their feet and one hand and sliding slowly to a stop.

 _So he doesn't just look different..._ Chara narrowed their eyes, slowly standing back to their full height. _He's stronger, more resilient._

 _But it doesn't matter._ Chara decided, clenching their jaw and letting red flames ignite around their right eye. _Because I've gotten stronger too._

I threw my arms out to the sides, the earth trembling behind me before a barrage of ink spikes fired up, spiraling to points and racing down at Chara, who launched forward towards me.

They slashed rapidly as ink fired down at them, sending black droplets spraying across the earth while they approached, jumping into the air and stabbing down at me, only for a wing to bat their arm aside, the second firing up and smacking them across the face, throwing their head to the side and making their eyes go wide.

I reached up, grabbing Chara by the ankle and yanking them down, throwing them into the earth at my feet hard enough to make them bounce. They reached back, placing their hands on the ground and flipping back away just as pens fired from the earth under them, landing on their feet and immediately jumping at me again.

They spun in air, those ballet shoes appearing on their feet only for my wings to flap, sending me launching up over them and their kick. Chara lifted their wide eyes to the sky, where I spun down, ax kicking at their skull.

Chara lifted both arms over their head, the ground shattering under them as they blocked my kick, our flaming eyes locking furiously just before they pushed my leg back, throwing me back up through the air and making me back flip, landing on my feet.

Chara darted forward, cocking back one fist. I pulled back my own, and our knuckles connected with earth shattering force, sending a red shock wave exploding out from around us and vibrations blasting up from our finger tips to our shoulders.

Chara growled, throwing one kick at the side of my head, only for one of my wings to take on a more liquidy appearance, wrapping around their ankle before I spun, whipping them across the plateau and towards a wall of stone.

"Stupid wings..!" Chara cried angrily as they spun in air so that their back was facing the wall, watching me fly after them, rapidly closing the distance.

I rammed my knee into their chin, smashing them head first into the rock wall and sending dust blasting out around us. We launched from the top of the smoke, and I was holding Chara by the collar of the shirt, dragging them up the wall of stone and sending pebbles and cracks flinging out around them.

Chara's head was hung low, but their mouth was apparent, and in a clear pained scowl. Just as we approached the peak they grabbed my wrist, pushing off the wall behind them and spinning us around so that my back was facing the sharp point of the peak and they were over me.

They planted their feet in my chest and kicked down, my eyes widening in agony as my shoulder was skewered on the point. Chara had launched up off of me from the force of their kick but was quickly plummeting back down towards me, knife raised high over their head.

I snarled, wincing and throwing back my none-skewered arm, summoning an eraser behind me and throwing it up towards Chara, who threw their arms up in an X just as it bashed into them, sending them sailing back down towards the ground below, when a second eraser fired up, smashing into their back and sending the wind blasting up from their lungs, their eyes snapping open wide as they were launched high into the sky.

Just as they felt they were reaching terminal velocity, a third eraser launched from above, smashing into them with bone breaking force and firing them like a bolt of lightning down into the plateau. They crashed with a shock wave of force, dust exploding up into the air and completely shrouding the crater that their body had made in the earth.

I grunted, yanking myself from the spike on which I was impaled, panting lightly and staring down into the smoke while I held one hand over my gaping shoulder wound. Red began misting from the wound, slowly sealing my flesh while I climbed to my feet. I stared down into the moonlit dust from the top of the mountain with narrowed eyes, before hopping down into it.

My wings flapped gently, softening my landing and blowing dust away from myself while I glanced around in search of my adversary.

After a moment or two, panting resounded, and I looked ahead to find Chara limping from the dust, holding their shoulder and glaring right at me. Blood ran down from their hairline and the sleeve of their limp arm, and crimson smoldered weakly from their wounds, struggling to treat them.

"You're tired, Chara." I stated calmly, watching them with an expression that was hard to read. "You've been through four fights today, and each one has been more grueling than the last."

"Shut up..." Chara demanded, jaw clenching even as blood trickled down their chin.

"You know you can't keep this up." My eyes narrowed curiously, and I tilted my head to the side. "I've given you another option, so why are you being so stubborn?"

Chara growled, that red flame reigniting over their right eye as they lunged forward, pulling back their knife. "All you ever do is talk!"

I tilted my head to the side, letting their knife sail over my shoulder. I ducked then, one sloppy slash going over my skull.

"Either die or kill me, Cter!" Chara snarled as I ducked and dodged around slashes and stabs. "That's the option _I_ gave _you_!"

"So either let me stab you," Chara stumbled with one heavy handed slash, panting and glaring up at me. "Or grow a pair and kill me!"

My jaw clenched, red flaring in my left eye as I caught their next stab by the wrist, their eyes widening with surprise before I swiftly stepped behind them, pulling their arm to their back and putting them in a chicken wing, making them wince with pain.

"What, is that it..?!" Chara snarled, before I wrapped my free around around their chest, restraining both arms and holding them tight to me.

"Nope." I stated plainly, before my wings rose high into the sky, and their eyes widened at the shadow of them preparing to flap.

"Oh shi-"

In an instant we were flying high into the sky, firing up from the earth and reaching up towards the stars before I suddenly nose dived, my wings folding back and sending us in a downward spiral towards the ground below.

Chara struggled with whatever strength they had left, but I only released them moments before the ground, my wings unfolding and catching me in the wind, sending them launching down into the earth at lightning speed.

They crashed with another shock wave and an explosion of smoke, and I flew high into the sky, keeping steady there with the gentle waves of my wings.

Chara laid there at the center of the dust, flat on their face. Their body twitched weakly, struggling to complete any of the rapid fire orders from Chara's brain that demanded it climb back to it's feet.

Slowly, they reached out, fingers wrapping weakly around the handle of their knife. Their body screamed with agony, but they didn't care, continuing to push and push until they managed to lift themself up off of their face.

"I'm... Not gonna die..." Chara spoke through blood stained and gritting teeth, red dripping from their hundreds of scraps and cuts and splattering to the ground beneath them. "Whatever it... Takes..."

Crimson DETERMINATION began to flicker to life around them, and their fist clenched in the dirt as they got to their hands and knees, glaring up at me, high above them.

"Only... Way..." They got to their knees, more and more energy returning to them with the light of their DETERMINATION. "Have to..."

Chara's knife trembled in their grasp with hesitation, but they grabbed themself by the wrist and forced their hand to steady while they dragged themself to their feet.

 _"... You don't want to kill me."_

"But I have to!" They shouted at the memory, hair shadowing their eyes.

 _"It doesn't have to be like this."_

"Yes it does!" They shook their head, before snarling up towards where I floated in the sky, bending at the knees like they were preparing to jump.

Just as Chara went to push off the ground, however, ink fired up from the ground around them, wrapping around both of their forearms and yanking them back down onto their knees.

"What in the..?!" Chara snarled and pulled against the blackness that restrained them, before their eyes widened at a familiar charging sound.

They lifted their head, watching with shock as circle upon circle of Beat Blasters appeared around them, forming a massive glowing dome with a singular hole at the top, through which a single shadow was cast down upon them in the moonlight.

The sky had cleared, now glimmering with stars and illuminating the earth with a full moon. And as Chara looked up through the single hole in the roof of the Beat Dome and upon the beautiful sky, the one they hadn't truly laid eyes on since their childhood, they felt all of their anxiety, all of their indecision and all of their internal struggle slip away.

 _... He's going to kill me._

* * *

I floated in the sky, wings spread wide at my sides and the moon shining bright behind me as I extended one hand to the dome I built around them.

I could see Chara there, and I knew they could see me. That made me hesitate. Filled my head with invasive thoughts.

 _"I am happy here! People believe in me here, trust me here! I'm not just gonna throw all that away just for you!"_

 _"... I'm sorry Chara."_

 _"I'm not gonna help you... Hurt innocent people..."_

I clenched my eyes shut, turned my head to the side to avoid their gaze. I hadn't lied before. I wouldn't trade everything for them. If that meant I would have to kill them, then...

I hated this. Hated it like no situation and no person before. Hated that they were so... Goddamn stubborn!

 _"I wanted you to join me you moron!"_

That's... Probably how they'd felt. What a disgusting guilt this was.

But... They weren't worth it. Not everything that I'd worked so hard for. That's what I kept repeating, even though it just wouldn't get through.

I grit my teeth, and I clenched my fist.

The night was instantly illuminated in a massive flash of white. It blasted across the mountain top, whited out the stars and the moon and turned every color to that roaring, searing ivory.

In the flashing dome of bright light, there was only one shadow. It writhed and flailed and screamed with agony, and looking upon it disgusted me in a way I was all too familiar with.

In the violent flashing of my own devastating power, I felt undeserving of my wings. So I descended, stood in the mud like a mortal man and let my ink wings recede back into my shoulder blades and disappear. The red fire had flickered out of my left eye, which had returned to it's KIND green as I stared regretfully into the screaming dome of raw destruction. My soul returned back inside of my chest, where it ached from the agony this decision caused it.

My hand trembled, and I slowly lifted it to the flashing lights, hesitating.

I have to do this.

I can't stop now.

I have to kill Chara.

I have to.

I have to!

I HAVE TO!

I threw my hand out to the side, and the light of the Beat Dome began to fade, the scream of it's many blasters growing more and more quiet as the night's natural lights returned.

... I can't.

The blasters disappeared from the sky, one by one. Left in their wake was dust and smoke, earth scorched and glassed. Dust and ash polluted the air where the dome had been, and the air reeked of death and destruction.

But, slowly, a shadow formed in the dust. It shambled through the devastation, reaching the edge of the smoke and escaping it's tomb on sheer will alone.

I watched with pained eyes as Chara forced every step closer, arms hanging limp and right leg dragging behind. Blood ran in a stream down their face from their hairline, similar streams running from their nose and mouth.

They stared at me, unblinking as they forced their dying body every step closer, gripping that knife with all of their might. It wasn't much.

I didn't step back. Put up no guard. And when their dragging feet caught, and they dropped forward, I fell to my knees, catching them against me and letting them rest there, their arms limp at their sides and their head on my shoulder.

Chara grunted and whimpered with agony as they slowly lifted their knife, pointing it's blade back towards my spine.

"... I'm sorry Chara. I can't do it." I finally spoke, and their trembling hand paused. "I can't kill you. Don't have it in me."

"So if you really want me dead, then... Fine." I closed my eyes, keeping my arms around them even as they pointed their blade at my back. "I won't come back this time. If this is what you want then... I can't stop you from taking it. Because I can't kill you."

"..." Chara was silent, narrowed and tired eyes staring their trembling blade. They hesitated for only a moment, before their eyes shut, and they let out a sigh.

 _Clang!_

My eyes opened, widening with some surprise as their arms dropped limp at their sides.

"... Fine. You win, Angel." Chara finally spoke, not moving after dropping their weapon behind me. "I can't kill you, either..."

"... Oh." I smiled a little, eyes glossing over to look at the side of their head. "Well that's a relief."

We both let go of one another, falling back onto our hands and looking to one another with tired eyes. We were each stained with blood and mud, clothes in tatters and still damp from the earlier pouring rain.

We sat in silence for a moment or two, before I started to snicker, leaning my head down and closing my eyes.

"What..?" Chara asked, managing to arch one tired brow.

"We look like shit." I managed to say through my exhausted giggling, reaching up and putting a hand over my face.

"... Heh..." Chara's lips slowly curved up, and they tilted their head back, starting to laugh as well. "You're right."

"We are some homely mother fuckers right now." I stated, and we both started to laugh harder. Another few moments passed, and we both fell onto our backs, limbs sprawled out at our sides. We stared up at the sky, giggling with exhaustion for another few moments, before our snickering began to die down.

"..." After another few moments, Chara sighed, closing their eyes. "I don't know how to be, Cter."

My brows furrowed slightly, and though neither of us lifted our heads, I listened closely.

"It doesn't get better and it doesn't get easier." Chara opened their pained eyes, looking to the sky once more. "My lives and deaths have been a series of poor choices and failures."

"I don't..." Chara's eyes glossed hesitantly to the side. "I don't know what to do if I don't die here."

Then, in almost a whisper...

"... I don't know how to keep going if I can't keep going like this..."

"..." I laid there in silence for another moment, thinking over their words before I spoke. "Trust me Chara, I get it."

"Huh..?" They furrowed their brows with some confusion.

"I've made some real shitty choices, and they've... Well, they've haunted me for feels like eternity now." I blinked painfully up at the moon. "There's a lot of people I've hurt that I'm never gonna get the chance to apologize to."

"I know how it feels to get so used to being a bad person that you don't think you can be anything else." I winced as I pushed myself back up on my hands.

"But, it all starts with just one good decision." I got a knee under myself, slowly climbing back to my feet. "One little step in the right direction."

"... And what decisions do I have left to make..?" Chara didn't lift their head, but their eyes did land on me. "What step can I take with all the bridges I've burned..?"

"... Well." I shrugged casually, reaching out to them with one hand and putting the other in my pocket. "You can start by taking my hand."

"W-what..?" They looked utterly baffled, pushing themself up on their elbows.

"Lets forget this fighting thing and go home, Chara." I smiled lightly, tilting my head to the side. "I think we're both tired of going on like this."

*Cter is sparing you.

". . ." Chara was in a stunned silence, mouth hanging open and eyes locked on my outstretched hand.

"... Cter, I... I don't know what to say..." Chara shook their head, eyes not leaving my hand. "This is... A lot to offer someone like me."

"Well, you could say yes." I suggested with a patient smile.

"You would... Really do this for me..?" Chara reached up, looking to their own hand.

"Duh." I grinned in a friendly way. "What're friends for?"

"... Friends..." Chara spoke hesitantly, reaching up for my hand. "That... Doesn't sound _too_ terrible..."

"That's the spirit!" I took their hand, pulling them up to their feet, where they stumbled. I knelt down, letting them fall onto my back and lifting them up on it.

"... Thanks..." They spoke tiredly, resting their chin on my shoulder.

"No problem." I snerked, beginning to walk back across the plateau towards the barrier. "Figured you might have the spaghetti legs."

"..." Chara grimaced, looking towards the approaching barrier. "I'm... Gonna have to talk to a lot of people, aren't I?"

"..." I looked up, nodding my head thoughtfully. "Yeah, eventually. You _do_ have a lot of explaining to do."

"But, for now, it's been a long day. You don't have to talk to anybody yet if you don't want to."

"..." Chara looked to the ground, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I think... There is _one_ person I'd like to see."

"Oh yeah?" My eyebrows rose with some surprise, and I looked over at them.

"It's... Going to be a bit of a walk." Chara glanced to the side. "I hope that's alright."

"No worries Char-bear." I shook my head as we neared the barrier. "I'll take care of it."

* * *

"Here he comes!" Monster Kid exclaimed excitedly as he watched us approach.

Everyone else took one or two skeptical steps back as I reached the barrier with Chara in tow. I sent a whip of ink launching out to retrieve my sweatshirt from the ground, pulling it over to me, where I let it disappear into my inventory.

I reached up, placed one hand on the barrier, and sent cracks blasting through it. It shattered like glass, it's shards disappearing in mid air.

"Uh... Howdy?" I grinned sheepishly at everyone, before letting out an 'Oof!' as Monster Kid jumped into my arms.

"YOIwassoworriedaboutyouandthenyoudiedandIwasreallysadbutthenyoucamebackanditwasSOFREAKINGCOOLandthenyouhadwingsandyoudidallthiscoolstuffandmadethebigdomeand-"

"Kid!" I cut him off, putting my hands on his shoulders and giving him a second to breathe. "Oxygen!"

After a few moments of MK gasping for breath, he muscled out of my grip to hug me again, tears forming in his eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Heh..." I smiled gratefully as I returned MK's hug, closing my eyes. "I'm glad to be okay."

"Cter I don't wanna interrupt but everyone is looking at me and it's giving me anxiety." Chara spoke from the corner of their mouth, and I laughed, letting go of Monster Kid.

"Hey kid, you got something on your shoulder." Sans arched a brow bone, reaching up and dusting off his own shoulder. "Do this."

"Very funny." I smiled some at Sans joke. "I promise I'll explain later."

"I won't say I'm not a lil' skeptical." Sans' pupils darted to the side. "But I trust your judgement."

I nodded my thanks, before continuing forward through the room. Chara and I got a confused look from just about everyone, but no one seemed to willing to stop us after everything they'd watched us go through.

"Eugh..." Gaster slowly sat up just as I walked by him. "What did I-"

Gaster suddenly yelped in an embarrassingly high pitch as he spotted Chara on my back, jolting with surprise.

"About time, sleepy bones." I smirked with some amusement. "And a lot. You missed a lot."

"I can see that..." Gaster nodded slowly. "Would you care to explain?"

"I'll tell ya later." I waved a hand dismissively. "Somebody else can fill ya in on what happened, right now I gotta take care of something."

I walked then to the exit of the room, where I turned around to face everyone.

"Okay, I know a lot of weird stuff is going on, but if you'll all just give me a little bit we can all sit down and talk about how much just happened." I raised my hands defensively, knowing already how many questions would fly my way. "We just have to go do something, and then we'll be back."

There was a pause, and just as Frisk - who watched with crossed arms and narrowed eyes - opened their mouth to speak, Toriel stepped forward.

"Wait."

The both of us looked to Toriel as she calmly walked towards us, Chara shrinking slightly on my back.

"You both look exhausted." Toriel smiled gently, surprising the both of us while she reached out with one glowing green hand. "Please, allow me to heal your injuries."

That KIND green light washed over the both of us, and I felt my pain and fatigue slowly fade away. I guessed that Chara felt the same way, as they climbed from my back and down onto the ground, still opting to stand behind me.

Toriel held her hands together over her lap and smiled sweetly, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side. "Be safe you two. I will be waiting patiently to hear from you both again, so feel free to take as long as you need."

"Thanks, Goat Mom." I nodded gratefully, and Chara hesitantly did the same before the two of us turned around and walked away from the others and out of their sight.

Frisk just watched silently. Contemplatively.

* * *

"So you're sure you're ready for this?" I arched a brow over at Chara, hands in the pockets of my sweatshirt, which I'd put back on and zipped up to cover my upper body. "I won't blame you if you need a minute."

Chara nodded, the sound of leaves crunching under our shoes echoing along the mossy purplish brick around us.

"If I don't do it now I won't ever have the chance." Chara explained, looking ahead to the open doorway ahead, which moonlight shun through.

"Right..." I glanced to the side, frowning slightly with realization. "I s'pos he won't be around much longer..."

I paused at the door way, turning back to Chara and nodding towards it.

They nodded their thanks, before skeptically walking into the room, wincing from the harsh blue light before adjusting.

Chara's eyes cast down to the one who sat at the center of the room. His back was to them, and he leaned back on his hands, staring up through the hole in the ceiling, from which the moon was clearly visible.

"Uhm... Hey."

Asriel's eyes widened some, and he looked over his shoulder at Chara. A small smile pulled up his lips. "... Hey."

"You don't, seem too surprised to see me." Chara awkwardly glanced to the side, rubbing their shoulder.

Asriel didn't say anything, instead opting to gesture to the ground before him. What was previously a beautiful patch of flowers growing over what had once been Chara's grave was now uprooted, dirt over thrown and making a mess of the flowers, as if something had violently tore it's way out from the tomb.

"... Oh." Chara reached up, nervously scratching the back of their neck. "Right. Kinda... Forgot about that."

"Also I could hear you and Cter fighting." Asriel laughed lightly, pointing up to the giant hole that loomed above.

Chara smiled lightly, clearly reassured by Asriel's friendliness. They somewhat awkwardly stepped forward, before taking a seat on the ground next to him.

"So what brings you back here?" Asriel glanced over at them. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, I just... Figured you would have something better to do."

"..." Chara frowned lightly, looking down at their former grave. "I think I really messed up, Asriel."

"Heh. Join the club." Asriel said casually, looking up to the sky.

"I mean, I got us killed, I helped Frisk with a million killing sprees, I tried to make Cter evil..." Chara reached up, placing a hand on the side of their face and resting their head on it. "All because I'm unhappy."

"... Huh. That's funny." Asriel said thoughtfully, furrowing his brows.

"Gee, thanks Azzy." Chara narrowed their eyes over at him, and he laughed, waving a hand dismissively.

"No, no! Not that!" Asriel explained, making Chara arch a brow with confusion. "I just mean it's weird!"

"What's weird?" Chara asked, lifting their head.

"I just, always kinda thought it was me who got us killed." This time Asriel was the one scratching the back of his head. "I was the one who didn't fight back when... Well, you were there, you remember..."

"Yeah, but, it was my dumb plan that put us in that situation in the first place." Chara looked to the side, neither of the two seeming strong enough to look at one another. "I tried to use you to take out my hatred on humanity. And, that was wrong. I see that now."

"... Honestly I, think I've know that for awhile." Chara's eyes narrowed painfully. "Just... Been in denial."

"Well I can understand that." Asriel shrugged. "I tried to justify some pretty messed up stuff as a flower with some pretty dumb excuses."

"Heh..." Chara smiled sadly over at Asriel. "I guess we're both screw ups, huh?"

"You've got that right." Asriel laughed just a little, managing to smile back at them.

Things were silent for another few moments, before Asriel looked ahead, slowly pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them there.

"... Chara, I... I've been trying to put on a brave face, but..." Asriel's eyes narrowed painfully at the ground. "... I really don't wanna go back to being a flower..."

"..." Chara was silent, the shadow of their hair falling over their eyes.

"... Then don't."

"Not, entirely sure that's how it works." Asriel smiled a little over at Chara, before his eyes widened, a red light reflecting in them.

Chara outstretched one hand, their crimson soul floating in their grasp.

"... Chara, you don't mean..." Asriel stared into that soul, utterly baffled.

"It was my stupid soul that got you into this mess. Got everyone into this mess." Chara didn't look away, a DETERMINED gleam in their eye. "It's only right that I give my life to fix it."

"... Besides." Chara's eyes narrowed then, glossing over to the side. "You're... A lot more trustworthy than I am. People will actually want _you_ around..."

My brows furrowed with concern, and I stepped into the room from the doorway I'd been leaning in, opening my mouth to speak, when I was cut off.

"Wait."

All three of us looked back to the hallway leading into the room, which Frisk walked down.

"Frisk?" We all spoke with equal confusion and in unison.

"Chara, you don't have to give Asriel your soul." Frisk said, and Chara tilted their head to the side with growing confusion.

"Well, I know I don't _have_ to, but how else is Asriel going to live?" Chara asked, narrowing their eyes suspiciously.

"Well..." Frisk lifted both hands, and in their grasp appeared a red, white outlined soul. They then pulled their hands away from one another, and their soul shifted, shimmering and splitting into two. A crimson human soul and an ivory monster soul. "I've got a spare."

"Whoa, Frisk, are you sure you wanna do that?" I asked skeptically. "That's a lot of power you're givin' up."

"... You said it yourself, Cter." Frisk's eyes narrowed down at the two souls in their grasp. "I'm not a fighter. I don't need power."

"Why are you doing this for us..?" Chara asked, them and Asriel climbing to their feet and turning to face Frisk. "I thought you hated me."

"Hate's a nasty thing, Chara." Frisk looked up from their souls to them. "It almost made me go back on my morals and my promise. Hate is not who I am, and I'm not going to let it restrain me from doing the right thing."

"I will admit that I don't like you, Chara. And it's going to take a lot of time for me to trust you again." Frisk spoke honestly, stepping forward and outstretching that monster soul. "But Cter _does_ trust you. And I can see that you want to change. So that's enough for me to give you this chance."

"..." Chara slowly brought their own soul back to their chest, letting it disappear back into them. "... Thank you..."

"Well, whaddaya say Asriel?" I smiled over to Asriel, who was smiling as well. "You tired of being a flower?"

Asriel stepped forward, reaching out towards the soul that Frisk offered. He certainly looked relieved and thankful.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

* * *

"Those three have been gone for quite some time..." Asgore pondered aloud, looking to the ground and stroking his beard.

"I do hope they're alright." Toriel held her hands together at her chest.

"Don't you worry!" Undyne gave a big smile and a thumbs up. "Cter and Frisk are super tough! There's no way they could get hurt!"

"Well, yes, but..." Toriel looked to the doorway. "... Those two aren't the only ones I am worried about..."

"... Does anyone wanna talk about how Cter is literally a living legend?" Alphys eventually spoke up, lifting her head to look over the room. "B-because I don't think we've touched on that enough."

"I, for one, always knew those two were very great!" Papyrus proclaimed proudly, placing a hand over his chest as his scarf waved in the wind.

"Didn'tcha try to capture him n' Frisk?" Sans grinned up at Papyrus, who did not leave his heroic stance.

"Doesn't ring any bells!" Papyrus spoke, making Sans grin a little wider.

"Whatever you say, bro."

"Well I was certainly caught off guard." Mettaton spoke honestly. "I can't believe the both of them were holding back that much when I fought them."

"Yeah!" Undyne exclaimed, stomping her foot. "I'm pissed! I want a rematch where they actually try!"

Gaster laughed lightly at that. "I'm not sure how well that will go over."

"Don't listen to him Undyne!" Monster Kid exclaimed excitedly. "You're just as tough as Cter!"

"Haha, yeah!" Undyne grinned wide, picking up MK and letting him sit on her arm as she flexed.

Footsteps echoed then, and everyone's heads turned to the entrance of the room, where all four of us walked in at the same time.

Toriel and Asgore's eyes both went wide, filling with tears. They rushed forward without hesitation, not even giving us the chance to speak before their large, fuzzy arms had wrapped around all four of us, pulling us into one big group hug.

We were in that hug for a pleasant while, but eventually they let go, and... We all talked. For a long time. We explained our motivations, gave apologies, discussed where to go from here. Turns out Sans had already told everyone everything that had happened in the past timeline, so that made things easier.

Toriel offered for all of us to live together in one big happy home, but unfortunately Asriel and Chara felt they had to decline. They explained that while they would both love to be around everyone, neither of them were really ready for it. They both still had a few things to overcome before they could integrate back into a normal life. Asgore and Toriel were saddened by this, but were ultimately understanding.

So while the rest of us went to live on the surface, Chara and Asriel decided to stay in the Ruins and watch over what few Monsters decided to remain in the Underground with them. They were both told they were welcome to visit us any time, and they told each of us the same.

Overall, things were looking pretty great for everybody. The fight was over and everyone got their happy ending. Chara was spared, Asriel was given a soul, Gaster was whole and back in the timeline. I honestly couldn't have imagined things going over this well.

"So, Cter, you've really been through it today, haha." Monster Kid looked over at me. We stood at the ledge of Mount Ebbot's peak, looking out over the wide open world around us. "What are your plans now?"

"Right now?" I asked, turning around and beginning to step backwards towards the ledge behind me. MK nodded to confirm my question.

"Well..." I held my chin with thought as I continued to walk backwards. "I think I'll do a lil' bit of exploring."

MK's eyes widened as I suddenly dropped back over the ledge behind me, and he rushed forward towards it. "CTER!"

Suddenly a gust of wind blew him back on his butt, and he watched in awe as I launched back up past the ledge, wings now spread from my back and carrying me high into the sky.

"Haha! Yeah!" Monster Kid exclaimed excitedly, watching me soar through the air on my wings of ink.

I spiraled up higher and higher, grinning at just how weightless and free I felt to finally have my one wish granted. In that moment, I was a little kid again. There were no worries, no guilt, no regrets.

I was where I belonged.

"WOOOOHOOOO!"

* * *

"Hmm... Very, very interesting indeed." Badster leaned over that reality tear with intrigue glimmering in his mad eyes.

"What a pleasant ending for our Angel." He stood back to his full height, straightening his long back.

As he did so, the two glowing red eyes that tore through the vantablack void and directly into whatever poor soul dared peer into them became apparent behind him.

Badster grinned wide, the pupils disappearing from his eyes as he looked over his shoulder at the one who sat behind him, running his ivory fingertips gently over his disgusting crowbar.

"Wouldn't you agree, Anarchy?"

"... Hmph." Anarchy scoffed, lifting those crimson eyes from his inheritance to the good doctor as his lips slowly curved up into a little smile. "Let him have it for now, doc."

"Hm?" Gaster raised his eyebrows with surprise, but his smile did not fade. "And here I thought after your resurrection you would have been absolutely _dying_ to visit The Hacker."

"... Everything's gotta be _juuuuust_ right..." Anarchy muttered thoughtfully, looking down to his crowbar and rubbing his thumb against one crusty red stain. "I want our reunion to be _very_ special."

 _"Uee hee hee! If you really believe you are the heir to Chaos's Crown, you will have to hunt me down, down!"_

Anarchy went silent then, frowning with aggravation at a recent memory.

"... Besides." His fingers slowly wrapped around that cruel steel, his lips gradually curving upwards into one sickening smile. "I wanna look real spiffy when I go knockin' on Angel's door."

"Could use some jewelry." Anarchy nodded, his lips parting to reveal his sharp teeth. "Somethin' pretty. Like a necklace, or a bracelet, or even..."

The Anarchist lifted his head, looking to Badster with wide, bloodshot eyes. A flame ignited, bursting violently to life from his left iris. He grinned from ear to ear.

 **"A Crown."**

* * *

 **Next time: Just what the hell happened in Delta Rune?!**

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	22. Chapter 22: Team Building Exercise

**Thanks go to brentonbaldwin1, fergusans18, Wingah, Zack Frost, Tbone8454, Andyfire123, MoltenLavaMan, Skele, Redskye22, 10burgers, AkumaESPer, Jack54311, Dohnaseek9, Genowar, bananahead1, Gray Kanzakai, whitefri2z, Doctah Sawbones, NBoss01, VioletLord115, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Linki, JakeGetsFrisky, Remnant7, Apostria, bjarkekode, and istic.**

 **Wow that's a whole buncha reviews! Thank you guys so much, it really means a lot and I really appreciate it!**

 **To answer your question Linki, yes I am very proud of my work. It makes me happy to see how much I've progressed as an author over the years, and I'm very excited for what's to come. I love everything that has come of all the incarnations of this story, from what I've made to the fan stories to the fan art to the reviews to the people that sang Cter's Stronger Than You. That's why I'm here now, to give you all the best possible DoubleTale I can make.**

 **Please enjoy the chapter. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.**

* * *

 **"If you're reading this...**

 **I guess you're dead!"**

 **\- Lexi**

Angel furrowed his brows at the sign before him, one self involved Rudinn staring into its own dagger with glimmering eyes behind him and the other two.

"Does she... Not understand how death works..?" Anthony slowly tilted his head to the side with confusion.

"I think she's just quirky." Angel concluded with a casual shrug.

"... Quirky?" Anthony repeated skeptically, narrowing his eyes over at his friend, who returned the favor, equally confused by Anthony's skepticism.

"That's, what I said, yes?" Angel nodded slowly.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." Anthony exaggerated his distrust as he leaned in towards Angel while holding his chin.

"... Why do you keep doing that?" Angel asked, leaning back away from Anthony.

"I know how you are about goth girls, Angel." Anthony spoke with narrowed eyes, making Angel recoil.

"Wha-! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Angel's face went red, a knowing smirk appearing on Anthony's.

"You know exactly what it's supposed to mean."

"She's not even goth!"

"Her face is painted like a skeleton."

"That doesn't _necessarily_ mean-!"

"Angel."

"I am not-!"

"Angel you have a thing for the crazy scythe lady."

"I DO NOT-" Angel paused, having thrown his arms into the air with his frustration. Slowly, he lowered them, inhaling through nose and slowly exhaling out from his mouth while he shut his eyes. "... I am not having this conversation Anny."

"What's your take on this, Xander?" Anthony looked over to Xander, who shrugged casually.

"If Angel's obvious crush could help bring Lexi to our side, then it will be very beneficial." Xander spoke as the three continued walking.

"I'VE KNOWN HER FOR LIKE AN HOUR!" Angel exploded furiously, his two companions not even flinching.

"I'm honestly surprised it took this long." Anthony closed his eyes and shrugged, before his eyes snapped open wide as he felt Angel's hands wrap around his throat and begin to throttle him.

"Ack-!"

 **Chapter 22: Team Building Exercise**

 _"I can be one of two guys."_

* * *

 **"These trees DON'T grow magical fruit that can heal you. Whatever you do DON'T pick and eat those star shaped candies!"**

 **\- Lexi**

"Yeah, you guys are good!" Angel called over after reading the sign, looking to where Xander was attempting to balance on Anthony's shoulders, reaching up towards the Dark Candies that were on the miscolored tree.

"Good is-" Xander paused mid sentence, eyes widening as he stumbled on Anthony's shoulders before grabbing a tree branch to steady himself. "Not the word I would use!"

"I would happily be the one on the shoulders if I thought either of you guys could lift me." Anthony smiled sheepishly up at Xander, who sighed, plucking one of the two dark candies down and tossing it to Angel, who caught it and placed it in the satchel on his right hip.

"You know for the one who started us on this quest, ya don't seem too adventurous." Angel lifted his head to look up at Xander, who was visibly sweating as he struggled to get a grip on the second candy.

"I spent my entire life alone in a castle! Cut me some slack!" Xander demanded with some embarrassment, wrapping his fingers around the dark candy.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say Fionna." Angel clapped and held his hands in front of himself to signal that Xander should toss him the fruit.

Xander growled with aggravation, and Angel closed his eyes, expression scrunching as the fruit was thrown into his face, slapping against it before slowly sliding off and into his hands.

"... So if he's Fionna, which one of us is Shrek and which one is Donkey?" Anthony opted to change the subject as he helped Xander slide down from his shoulders and back onto the earth.

"I think we both know the answer to that." Angel looked up from the bag he was putting the candy into to frown at Anthony.

"... Does that make Lexi the Dragon?"

"..." Angel stiffened, his eye twitching with aggravation. "Anny I'm gonna be dragon the back'a my hand upside your head if you don't quit your shit."

Anthony laughed at that, and the three Delta Warriors continued back to the main path.

Once back on the main path, they found Lexi leaning over a sign, using a black marker to write a message on it. It didn't seem that she'd noticed the three yet, and Xander took the opportunity to lean and look over her shoulder to see what she was writing.

 **"Hey, this sign isn't finished yet! Don't look!"**

 **\- Lexi**

"..?" A confused and irritated expression appeared on his face as he shrugged.

"Hey Angel look it's your girlfriend." Anthony looked over to Angel, who said nothing, instead opting to charlie horse Anthony in the shoulder. The albino boy gripped the stinging portion of his arm, immediately doubling over and wincing his eyes shut while a satisfied smile appeared on Angel's face. "Owww!"

"Huh wha?" Lexi looked over her shoulder, before grinning wide upon spotting the three. "Aha! There you chumps are!"

"Are you gonna try to fight us again?" Anthony asked,wincing up at Lexi.

"What? Pff, no." Lexi rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't have my own super cool team yet."

"Well then we're just, gonna..." Angel pointed with his thumb towards the path to their right.

"Yeah yeah, go right ahead." Lexi waved a hand dismissively. "I've gotta finish this sign, anyway."

"But, the sign..?" Xander mumbled with confusion, pointing randomly like he was trying to connect dots that didn't exist.

"Just roll with it." Anthony whispered to Xander, before smiling that warm, friendly smile over to Lexi. "Okay, good luck with that!"

"Thanks!" Lexi waved at the three as they continued ahead, before kneeling down in front of the sign and looking at it with a thoughtful smile.

"Our talks are nice."

* * *

 **"Hey, wait! Where am I? Oh no! I'm lost! Somebody help!"**

 **\- Lexi**

"Well I can't say I didn't see that coming." Xander frowned with exasperation.

"This is hardly even a maze! How did she get lost?" Anthony looked up from the chest he was opening to his companions, Xander shrugging and shaking his head in response.

"Well she isn't here anymore, so I'm sure she figured it out." Angel crossed his arms, glancing around their surroundings.

Anthony didn't respond, instead pulling the white ribbon from the chest he'd opened. "Oh. Cute."

Angel just cocked a brow, smiling with some amusement as he watched Anthony place the ribbon in his mane of white hair, before he grinned happily over at Angel. "How do I look?"

"..." Angel considered making some kind of remark as vengeance for Anthony's mocking him over his hypothetical crush, but was unable to think of a single mean thing to say when met with the hopeful gleam in Anthony's ruby eyes. "... Ya look precious, Anny."

"Yay!" Anthony grinned even wider, closing his eyes and resting his chin on a platform he made by intertwining his fingers.

The three continued down the obvious path, blue grass crunching under their feet.

 **"Haha! Just kidding! I knew it was this way all along!"**

 **\- Lexi**

"Now this one I find hard to believe..." Xander muttered thoughtfully as he looked down at the sign, gripping his chin.

"Baffled by my INGENIOUS mind games, I see!" Lexi's voice suddenly cut in, making the three jump and look to where she suddenly stood, posing dramatically with her scythe held back and one open hand extended out towards them.

"Sure." Angel shrugged casually.

"W-wait, really?" Lexi looked to him with surprise, before shaking her head. "I mean YES! Obviously!"

"Now, face my vicious team of ruthless hero destroyers!" Predator pointed her scythe at the three, before suddenly back flipping over the three Hathys that approached from behind her, each smiling and beating softly.

*Smells like a soft kiss.

"How is that a smell..?" Anthony muttered with confusion down at his text box.

"What was that, Anny?" Angel glanced over his shoulder at Anthony, who jumped, grinning nervously.

"N-nothing!" Anthony quickly refuted, just making Angel cock a brow, before he nodded towards the Hathys.

"It's three of the lovey ones." he explained casually. "Do something cute before they kill us."

"On it!" Anthony smiled, pushing his way to the front of the group while he straightened the ribbon atop his head.

"You all look really nice today!" Anthony called happily, smiling wide and giving the three a friendly wave. "Are those new crowns? They look great on you!"

All three of the Hathys blushed, placing one tentacle over their mouths and waving their other tentacle dismissively, effectively pacified by Anthony's flattery.

"Curses!" Lexi slammed her fist down on her open palm. "I didn't account for your greatest strength: Cutie pie sweetness!"

"But next time?! Ohohoho next time!" Lexi pointed her scythe at the three as she backed away. "I'll... I'll!"

"..." She paused, eyes darting to the side, before darting back to them. "Think of something! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Angel snerked as he watched her run off, crossing his arms and shaking his head with an amused smile on his face. "Why is she so extra?"

Anthony didn't say a word, but he did grin knowingly and lean in towards Angel, who just responded with another swift charlie horse.

"Oww! I didn't even say anything!"

"But you were thinking something."

* * *

"... What. The hell. Is that?"

C. Round bounced excitedly, kicking out its legs, one after the other, in a little dance.

"Awww!" Anthony's face lit up, and in an instant he'd picked up the little checker piece, petting the top of its head.

"Anny please put that thing down you don't know where it's been." Angel spoke urgently, but Anthony just continued to rub his cheek against the C. Round.

"It doesn't matter where it was in the past, now it has a permanent home in my heart!" Anthony exclaimed, C. Round wiggling happily in his arms.

"Eugh..." Angel pinched the bridge of his nose, Xander just smiling and stepping forward.

"Great job Anthony!" Xander praised. "You're very good at defeating enemies without violence."

"The trick is just thinking of them as future friends instead of as enemies." Anthony explained calmly, smiling as he set C. Round down and patted its head before it happily bounded off.

Angel smiled at that. Though he wouldn't say it, it made him... Exceedingly happy that Anthony's friendly nature was paying off, and here of all places!

It was strange, that here these creatures who's jobs were to destroy him would enjoy his company so much and be so easily swayed by his kindness, while at home...

... Anthony and Angel were the only humans around that city. And even when it came to humans, Anthony's albinism made him not much like his own kind, either. Of course, Angel had never seen his best friend as anything different from himself, but most humans and even some of the monsters on the other hand...

So Angel smiled, glad to see just how happy Anthony was here, all of his MERCY paying off and getting him all the friends he ever deserved. He'd often wished more for Anthony, so to see his hero finally being treated as such...

 _Ring!_

The bell atop the shop door rang and the three were greeted by one grinning stuffed cat man behind the counter. He was missing one button eye, looking to be in tatters. And yet he still smiled, but in a way unlike Anthony. In a way that was eerie, sinister.

"Hehehe... Welcome, travelers."

Seam leaned forward on the counter that separated him and his three costumers, that single eye examining them. First Xander, then Angel, and then...

Seam's eyes widened curiously, that nearly deranged smile lifting his expression further as he eyed Anthony.

Anthony didn't seem to notice this predatory stare, but Angel did, and he stepped forward, shooting Seam a warning glare as he quickly positioned himself between his best friend and the shop clerk.

Seam laughed at that, eyes glossing over to Angel as he clicked his finger nails against the counter on which he leaned.

"Excuse my staring, I just never thought I'd see the day, is all." Seam's words were followed by a little chuckle, and they made Anthony arch a brow with confusion.

"Never see what day?" Xander asked with an equal lack of understanding, and Seam raised his eyebrows, lips curving up with some surprise.

"Wait, you don't know?" He laughed at Xander's ignorance, lifting one finger to point at Anthony. "Does _he_ know?"

"Do I know what?" Anthony asked, completely befuddled.

Seam went silent then, narrowing his eyes and looking Anthony over once more with his single button.

"Tell me, what are you three doing in this dark little world of ours?" Seam tilted his head to the side, and Angel fumed nearly immediately at his evasion of their questions.

"Or you could answer our questions first you cryptic raggedy mother fu-"

"Angel!" Anthony cut in, putting a hand on Angel's shoulder and smiling nervously at Seam.

Seam was cackling at that, throwing his cotton filled head back and reaching up to rub his eyes. Or, eye and ripped stitching.

"I'm sorry about that sir. My friend is just tired from the walk, is all." Anthony grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"To answer your question, we're here to seal the Dark Fountain!" Anthony explained excitedly, that grin becoming less sheepish and more friendly. "We're three of the four heroes!"

"Heroes from the Legend, eh?" Seam tilted his head to the side, lips curving up bitterly. "That's funny. In a boo hoo funny kinda way."

"Hm?" Anthony furrowed his brows, that smile disappearing. "But we are..?"

"Oh no, I believe you." Seam's eye narrowed then, and he leaned forward on the counter. His nihilistic button eye stared directly into Anthony's soul, in such a way that he almost felt a layer of his personality being pulled. Peeled away to reveal something underneath...

"I just also know who you are, **An#####**."

Anthony blinked a few times, shaking his head as he suddenly felt disoriented. "I'm, sorry, what was that..?"

"I know who you are **An#####**."

Anthony took a step back, head light and legs weak with sudden fatigue. "What did... You call me..?"

Seam leaned forward further, and Anthony's vision grew hazy. Everything around the shopkeeper grew blurry, and out of the corners of his eye, he could almost see... Green ones and zeros? They rushed in waves over the darkness that crept across the corners of his vision, but whenever he looked to them they disappeared, replaced by nothing but the darkening shop.

 **"An#####."**

Angel and Xander were at Anthony's sides. They spoke, but their voices were distorted. Entirely unintelligible.

Anthony felt his stomach twist and turn, a sickness washing over him as his legs threatened to give out under a terrible weight that rested in his heart. But where did the weight come from? Why did it feel so... So disgusting, so grotesque, so...

Dark.

Anthony fell forward, catching himself on the glass counter and panting rapidly as ice could sweat poured down his face. Angel yelled something, put hands that Anthony did not feel on his shoulder.

Weakly Anthony lifted his head, right eye winced shut and jaw hanging open to gasp for breath. He stared up at Seam, who stared right back, even as Angel shouted static words furiously at him.

Seam spoke in a voice that was not his own. A voice Anthony had never heard, but was sure he recognized.

 _ **"You can't dream forever."**_

Anthony's head bounced off the counter when his body fell limp.

* * *

 _Anthony's eyes slowly creaked open, focusing in on planks of wood that made up the ceiling over him. He felt a concrete floor beneath him, and his body ached. His lips felt dry and cracked. His stomach ached and moaned with hunger._

 _Slowly he looked to his right. Darkness, squirming and writhing. He could almost see its teeth, worms snapping sharp maws hungrily. They were waiting for him to die. For his beaten, starved, and broken body to give out. The shadows would feast upon his flesh soon, but for now those jaws cackled. Laughed at their pathetic victim, the mother's sacrifice to sooth their hunger._

 _Anthony was terrified of the worms. Of the dark they lurked in. He wished he could escape them. Climb the stairs and open the door and forever leave this basement behind._

 _But the worms infested his heart. Chewed on it's blackened corners. Devoured his empathy, his kindness, his hopes and his dreams._

 _And that was... Funny._

 _It made gross laughter escape Anthony's throat. It made innocent tears stream fearfully down his cheeks. He didn't want to laugh, but his utter destruction was absolutely hilarious. He writhed, kicked his feet, arched his back, clenched his fists, shook his head._

 _But his cackling and his crying did not stop. They sent hysterical shock waves through his mind body and soul. He was dying, in every sense of the word. There was no god, no Angels who would rescue him from the worms._

 _That split his sides. It was an utter riot._

 _He continued to laugh as he looked to the left, towards the staircase to the sliver of light that scorched his flesh. Rejected him no matter how desperately he wanted to live in its glow. That, too, was funny._

 _And there, laying on the concrete leading towards the light, glimmering red like his once hopeful eyes, laid the crucible._

 _A simple metal tool, that's what mother had damned him to the worms with. Forced him into the dark with. Protected him from the hypocritical light with. He owed her for that. Without the kindness of his dear mother, he would never feel this joy. Be subjected to this hysterical laughter, caused by the tickle of the chewing worms._

 _The stairs creaked. Destiny walked with heavy feet into the beast's lair. It wore Anthony's face, twisted into a sharp toothed grin. He'd run out of time to die. That was good. That was funny._

 _Fate shambled as it approached with it's wicked smile. It let one grotesque, elongated arm scoop his inheritance from the concrete on which mother had left it for him._

 _Anthony's laughter got louder, his twitches getting faster. As tears streamed down his face, he kicked his legs. He clawed at the concrete and shattered his finger nails and finger tips, painting the grey with his beautiful crimson colors. Not that there was much color in the black._

 _Anthony screamed with joyous laughter and cried woeful tears as the face stealer took him by the chin, and their blood red eyes met, locked as one. Yes, one in the same. The coin was flipping. A new face._

 _It opened it's jaws wide enough to chomp over Anthony's entire head, and revealed enough rows of teeth to chew his skull if it chose to do so._

 _He felt its long white digits set that crowbar in his open palm, surrounded by Anthony's twitching and convulsing fingers. But those fingers straightened with purpose with the touch of his inheritance. A tool from the dark, of the dark, for the dark._

 _Yes, he was the dark. That's why the sun burnt his flesh. Why his human brethren feared him. He wasn't really like them. Just a shadow that took their shape._

 _Hysterical._

 _Madness snapped its jaws shut, and with one bite it ripped Anthony's face off. Tore it's head to the side and pulled his identity away from him. It slurped, sucked Anthony's face down its throat, and stole what remained of him._

 _And he clenched his crowbar tight in his hand._

* * *

Anthony's eyes snapped open wide, and though he'd wanted to scream, he was cut off by the bile that shot up his throat, and he launched up. He leaned over, spilling his guts all over the grass at his side.

"Whoa!" Angel cried out with surprise, glad to be on the opposite side of Anthony to the one he was vomiting on.

Anthony puked for a few seconds longer, before his stomach was empty. Then he clenched his eyes shut, letting a few horrified tears run with the icy sweat down his face while he gasped for breath.

"Are you alright, Anny?" Angel said, putting a hand on Anthony's shoulder. He glanced to the side, second guessing his question immediately. "Well, I mean, obviously you aren't alright, you just-"

Anthony cut Angel off by spinning around and clinging to him desperately, wrapping his arms around his best friend and burying his face in his shoulder while he sobbed.

Angel's eyes widened with surprise, before his expression softened with care, and he returned Anthony's hug.

"Hey, Anny, it's alright..." He spoke softly, smoothing Anthony's mess of ivory hair with his hand. "I'm here, you're safe..."

"I-... I had a nightmare, a-and... It was really messed up..." Anthony explained, trembling in Angel's arms.

"Like how messed up?" Angel tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Like I ate my own face messed up..." Anthony lowered his head, eyes narrowing painfully.

"Eeee..." Angel made a stage ten 'Yikes!' face, eyes darting to the side. "Yup, that uh, that checks out as pretty messed up..."

"It, just, felt so real..." Anthony's hands slowly clenched fistfuls of Angel's shirt. "Like I'd... Been there befo-"

"Well it's not real, Anny." Angel cut Anthony off, making him look up to him with surprise.

"What's real is that you're right here, and you're savin' the world." Angel smiled kindly down at his best friend. "This is real, right here. So don't let the freaky shop keep mess with your head. You know who you are, don't you?"

"... Heh..." Anthony's lips slowly curved up into a smile, and he reached up, wiping the tear streaming down his cheek away. "Thanks, Angel..."

"Anytime bud." Angel grinned, standing and offering a hand to Anthony, who took it gladly.

"Aww..!" Lexi exclaimed, sitting with her legs crossed and leaning forward, resting her chin in both hands.

"... How long has she been here?" Anthony snerked some, pointing to Lexi and looking to Xander.

"She actually helped us walk you here." Xander explained with a small smile. It was then that Anthony realized they were in an area foreign to him, an area of grass path that was blocked off by a metal fence, one that came to sharp points to keep people from climbing it.

"Wait, what?" Anthony asked with heavy confusion, looking back to Lexi, who furrowed her brows.

"Well yeah!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "What kind of monster do you think I am, to let MC Sweetness just be passed out in front of that creepy shop?"

"..." Lexi awkwardly scratched the back of her head, eyes darting to the side. "Also I can't figure out the puzzle to open this door."

Anthony's eyes glossed over to the two platforms at the center of the room, two boxes next to them.

"Someone vandalized the instructions!" Xander exclaimed, clearly offended. "Now how are we supposed to figure it out?

Angel and Anthony both looked to the incredibly simple puzzle, before looking to each other.

"Man, these Dark World homies can't do puzzles for beans." Angel muttered to Anthony, who nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Angel stretched his arms up over his head, cracking his neck. "Let a professional handle this."

Anthony just crossed his arms, smirking knowingly as he watched Angel lift the boxes in an obvious attempt at displaying strength.

Angel set the boxes on their respective platforms, and Lexi jumped as the gate suddenly swung open behind her, eyes going wide.

"Whoa! Way to go Spear Guy!" Lexi grinned back from the open pathway to Angel.

"All in a days work." Angel shrugged casually, and Anthony just shook his head.

"Well, I'll see you flock of silly geese up ahead!" Lexi back flipped, springing away and ahead.

"... I think we're growin' on her." Angel concluded with a smirk, placing his hands on his hips.

* * *

The four continued on through the Great Board. And though he should have been enveloped in his amazing adventure and the insane sights he was seeing, Anthony found focusing difficult.

He was haunted, really. The visions from his nightmare flickered in every dark corner. The rows of teeth that had chewed his face appeared when he closed his eyes.

Anthony tried desperately to focus on the task at hand, and though he would succeed for moments at a time...

"Well this has been a nice walk." Angel shrugged optimistically. As if on cue, the Ponman stood from the pillars ahead of them and hopped down onto the board, starting a dead sprint towards the three.

"oH JESUS CHRIST WHAT IN GOD'S NAME-"

... Ultimately, his thoughts always drifted back to that hauntingly familiar basement. To the worms, to the beast that both wore and ate his face, and ultimately...

His crowbar.

It was such an insignificant detail in the sea of horrors that culminated into that nightmare, or at least it should have been. But it called to Anthony. Pulled his thoughts back to it the moment they wandered away.

The dream's more minor details were hard to grasp. How he'd felt, what he'd been doing. He remember he was moving, and making... Some kind of noise. What had he been thinking?

It all eluded Anthony. he was terrified of what he'd seen, but that terror made him all the more curious of what it all meant. Not to mention the words of the shop keeper, Seam. And the name that Anthony's ears had refused.

The only thing that remained vivid and concrete about the entire situation was the end. Those last few seconds, as his face was ripped away.

His fingers had closed around that crowbar, enclosed all of its filth in his stained white hand. And it felt... Natural. Right, in every way. The weight, the texture, it was as though it was a part of him.

And... Somehow, he longed for that. To feel that disgusting tool in his grasp once more. And that was... Discomforting. To say the least.

But Anthony closed his eyes, and he held on to the words Angel had comforted him with. That wasn't real. The dream, the worms, the basement, the crowbar, it was fake. But not the shield on his back. Not the friends he was surrounded with, and not the world he would save.

So Anthony steadied himself, stiffened his upper lip. He lifted his head and clenched his fists, and with one heavy push he shoved those wicked thoughts from his mind.

"aaaaAAHHHH!"

THUD.

Anthony, Angel, and Xander all jumped as Lexi crashed to the ground before them, eyes clamped shut in pain. In her hand she clenched her scythe tight.

"Eugh... Stupid legs..." She rubbed her chin, slowly sitting up.

"You alright?" Angel knelt next to her, and she peeked open one eye to look at him, before relief washed over her.

"Oh thank god, you guys are here!" She winced as she climbed to her feet, and Angel looked confused as he helped her up.

"Well, yeah, but don't you want us dead?" Anthony arched a brow with heavy confusion as he walked up to Lexi, who's shoulder Angel was under to keep her standing.

"Bygones!" Lexi exclaimed, pointing a finger at Anthony. "Right now we gotta do a super cool once in a life time good guy bad guy team up to defeat a common enemy!"

"Wait, a common enemy?" Xander tilted his head to the side.

As if on cue, something crashed down onto the ground a few feet behind Lexi and Angel, who both looked over their shoulders, eyes widening.

K. Round slowly unbent the knees of its giant muscular legs, smiling joyfully despite it's menacing stomps.

"whAT ON GOD'S GOOD GREEN EARTH IS THAT?!" Angel screamed, him and Lexi turning to face the beast and taking skeptical steps back away from it.

"K. Round." Lexi narrowed her eyes up at the excited creature that loomed over them. "Destroyer of Worlds."

"Destroyer of Worlds?!" Angel exclaimed frantically, looking to Lexi, who grinned wide.

"Yeah, I just added that part. Makes it sound way cooler, right?" She asked, and Angel sighed with exhaustion, shoulders sinking.

"I think Crusher of Pelvises might be a bit more appropriate." Angel spoke dryly as his tired eyes lifted to K. Round. His eyes widened some when he heard Lexi laugh however, feeling her smack her hand onto his back.

"That's funny. You're funny." Lexi grinned over at Angel, who's face went red as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"O-oh, really? I mean, I uh-"

Anthony suddenly jumped out in front of the two, lifting his shield and gritting his teeth with exertion as K. Round kicked out its leg, sending a star of white energy flinging from it's muscular calf and into Anthony's shield, which it bounced from, flinging into the distance.

"Flirt later!" Anthony ordered over his shoulder at the two.

"W-wait, we weren't-" Angel began to nervously defend as he pulled a Dark Candy from his satchel to give to Lexi, who shook her head and cut him off.

"Oh no," She took a bite out of the star shaped candy, feeling her strength return to her. "We were."

This made Angel's face darken in that red shade, before Lexi jumped into the air, spinning and raising her scythe over her head. "NOW LETS KICK SOME K. ROUND K. ASS!"

K. Round spun in a pirouette, swinging at Lexi with one muscular leg. Lexi growled with frustration, holding the long handle of her scythe to the side and letting the kick crash into that, her jaw clenching as she struggled to keep the force at bay before it sent her flying back away from K. Round. She landed on her feet, sliding back some and glaring at the kinged checker piece, who giddily stomped its feet.

"Alright X, how're we gonna give it to 'em?" Angel glanced over his shoulder at Xander as he drew his spear from his back.

"Well..." Xander's eyes scanned K. Round carefully, locking on to the crown on its head. "I believe that its metamorphosis comes from the crown atop its head. If we can knock that loose, it should turn back into C. Round."

"Everybody hear that?" Angel called back to Lexi and Anthony, who both nodded once.

"Alright, good." Angel and Xander stepped forward, Angel pointing his spear out to K. Round while Xander held both hands out to his sides, flames flickering over his palms.

K. Round continued to shake the earth with it's powerful and speedy stomps, before it launched forward at Anthony and cocked back one leg, Anthony quick to bring up his shield and let K. Round's knee slam into it, throwing him back through the air.

"Anny!" Angel exclaimed, throwing his spear to the side and holding out his arms, letting Anthony slam into him. The two both tumbled to the ground, sliding back across the board while K. Round sprinted after them.

"No you don't!" Xander exclaimed, throwing out one hand and snapping his fingers, sending a burst of flames from his finger tips out towards K. Round. The bolt of fire slapped into K. Round's face and made it stop in its tracks, leaning its one big head/body back and scrunching its features, a black soot mark now detailing its front.

Suddenly Lexi dove towards K. Round, pulling back her scythe and swiping at that crown with it. But K. Round was too quick, falling flat on it's back and pulling both knees up to its chest as Lexi launched over, her eyes widening down at it as she was in clear range of its kick.

"... Uh oh."

K. Round's feet smashed into her chest, making her eyes snap open and her jaw unhinge as she was launched high into the air, plummeting down and landing right on the stack of bodies that was Angel and Anthony with an "Oof!" resounding from all three of them.

"Uhh... Guys?" Xander looked to the three teammates lying flat on their asses, before his eyes slowly lifted to K. Round, who was back on its feet, once more stomping excitedly.

Xander gulped.

 **"... We're bad at this."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	23. Chapter 23: Team Splitting Exercise

**Thanks go to fergusans18, BadDRUMMERboy15, Tbone8454, Andyfire123, Wingah, MoltenLavaMan, EmperorVolt, 10burgers, pastmemes, Gray Kanzakai, Skele, Genowar, Jack54311, bananahead1, DescendantYl2, and NBoss01.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.**

* * *

"Ha!" Xander jumped back, throwing one arm forward and sending a burst of flames from his palm, destroying the stars that flew from K. Round's kick.

K. Round launched through the smoke, pulling up one foot to stomp down on a stunned Xander. Anthony was quick to jump between the two however, raising his shield and blocking K. Round's incoming foot.

Anthony's knees threatened to buckle, his teeth grinding and sweat forming on his brow under K. Round's weight before shards of ice shattered on K. Round's back, and it stepped off of Anthony to turn and face Lexi and Angel, who stood ready behind it, white knuckled fingers wrapped around their respective weapons.

Anthony took this opportunity to cock back his shield arm, gritting his teeth before whipping his arm forward and sending his shield soaring in a spin at K. Round's crown, which it crashed into, knocking it clean off K. Round's head and sending Anthony's shield bouncing right back to him. He reached out, and Xander was shocked as he caught it right back on his arm.

K. Round rapidly shrunk back to a C. Round, and it looked quite confused as it dropped back onto the ground from it's once grand stature.

"There ya go lil' guy." Anthony placed his shield on his back, kneeling down and reaching out to C. Round. He gently rubbed C. Round's cheek with his hand, wiping away a smudge with extra care.

C. Round happily bounded off, and Anthony stood with a smile clear on his face as the other three walked up to him.

"What the hell was that, Captain America?!" Angel exclaimed with disbelief, and Anthony grinned sheepishly, reaching up and rubbing the back of his head.

"Dunno." He answered honestly. "I just kinda... Did a thing and it went well?"

"It was the power of our super cool team up!" Lexi believed wholeheartedly, slamming her fist into her open palm. "Its the only thing that makes sense!"

"... Right." Xander said, giving Lexi a confused stare.

"Speaking of teams, us working together has given me an ingenious idea." Lexi placed one hand proudly on her chest, smirking confidently.

"You wanna join us?" Anthony asked hopefully and with a friendly smile.

"What? Pff, no." Lexi rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "One'a you guys has to join me."

"What?!" Xander exclaimed, clearly unable to tolerate Lexi's ridiculousness anymore.

"There's three of you and one of me!" Lexi spoke like it was obvious. "The only way to make it fair is for one of you to join me."

"Lexi, there's no way that one of us is going to-"

"I'll do it." Angel volunteered before Anthony could finish his sentence, making his friend stiffen as frustration and disappointment appeared on his expression.

"Woo!" Lexi pumped a fist into the air, grinning wide with joy. "I was hoping it'd be Spear Guy!"

"My name's Angel." Angel snerked, glancing over at Lexi.

"That's a very pretty name."

"Why thank you!"

"..." Anthony slowly reached up, running a hand down his face. Xander's eye twitched with irritation.

"... Angel, may we speak to you for a moment?"

 **Chapter 23: Team Splitting Exercise**

 _"We can't keep dodging this forever."_

* * *

"Okay, now I know what you're gonna say." Angel began, Anthony crossing his arms with a condescending frown.

"Angel."

"But it's _really_ not like that!" Angel rose his hands defensively.

"Angel."

"I just think that-!"

"Angel."

"I don't-!"

"You're thinking with your dick."

". . ." Angel went silent, his hands slowly clenching into fists and his eyes shutting tight. "... Okay, I _might_ be thinking with my dick."

"You're definitely thinking with your dick." Xander confirmed with a cold frown.

"But! This is a great opportunity!" Angel opened his eyes, pursing his lips and pointing to his two skeptical team members.

"Great opportunity for you to try to get with the goth girl." Anthony muttered while rolling his eyes.

"No, dingus! Look, she's the fourth hero, right?" Angel spoke, getting the attention of his comrades. "That means that we need her on our side to seal the fountain, right?"

"... Well, yes." Xander's eyes darted to the side, before looking back to Angel. "But how will splitting into two groups help that? We aren't gaining a hero, we're losing one!"

"This will only be temporary. Once we're good enough friends, I'm sure I can convince her to join our side!" Angel spoke confidently, raising one clenched fist.

"And besides, she was right. It wouldn't be fair to be three on one." Angel smirked knowingly, crossing his arms. "And heroes are supposed to play fair, right?"

"Ah-!" Xander raised one finger, before groaning and lowering his head. "... I'm so mad that you're right..."

"Hehehe." Angel grinned, sticking the tip of his tongue from between his bottom and upper front teeth.

"Alright, fine Angel. If you really think this can work, then..." Anthony closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before reopening his ruby peepers and smiling softly at his friend. "I believe in you."

"Just... Don't get into any trouble, alright?" Anthony frowned with worry. "You're my friend, and I don't want something to happen and... For me to not be there to protect you."

Angel smiled genuinely from his friend's care. It was odd, Angel always felt he was Anthony's protector, not the other way around. So, hearing that Anthony wanted to wanted to keep him safe too felt... Nice.

"... Don't you worry, Anny. I'll be careful."

* * *

"Man, this is gonna be so cool!" Lexi exclaimed excitedly as her and Angel walked along the forest path. "I've never been part of a dynamic duo before!"

"Don't you have like, entire legions on your side?" Angel cocked a brow over at Lexi as they walked, hands in his pockets.

"I mean, yeah, but..." Lexi hesitated then, eyes darting to the side. Angel almost thought he saw her frown, before she threw her head back and laughed loudly. "Those guys are all nerds! Not team material at all!"

"Heh..." Angel smiled some at that, reassured by Lexi's seemingly endless well of confidence. "Well I'm glad I _am_ team material."

"Hey, there's my stump!" Lexi pointed ahead, startling Angel as she didn't seem to have even heard his words. She was, in fact, pointing at a stump. It was red like the wood of all the trees around them, and in its core was a large crack.

Lexi bolted forward, kneeling down next to the stump and reaching into its orifice, rummaging around as Angel casually walked up next to her.

"Uhh..?" Angel slowly tilted his head to the side with heavy confusion, before Lexi let out an "Ah ha!" And pulled out a gallon drum of ice cream from the wood.

"Ice cream?" Angel furrowed his brows, and Lexi grinned up at him as she pulled two spoons and two bowls from the stump as well.

"Pretty evil, right?" She asked, sitting at one end of the stump.

Angel laughed at that, taking a seat across from her. "Yeah, sure."

"See, this is what I'm talking about." Lexi spoke as she cracked open the drum of vanilla, setting its lid to the side. "Nobody in my dad's dumb army would stop and eat ice cream with me."

"They'd be all "Oooh Lexi, you should take your job more seriously!" Or "Ooooh Lexi you should be training to become Chaos Incarnate!" Bleh." Lexi rolled her eyes as she scooped ice cream into her bowl. Angel smiled along and listened casually at first, but her mention of Chaos Incarnate caught his ear with a little extra oomph.

"But you, Angel, you get it." Lexi pointed one ice vanilla covered spoon at her teammate. "You know how to chill."

"I mean yeah." Angel shrugged with ease, filling his own bowl. "All work and no play makes Angel a dull boy."

"But uhh..." Angel's eyes narrowed some, not sure how to go about steering the conversation. "What was that about you being Chaos Incarnate?"

"You don't know?" Lexi furrowed her brows, popping her spoon into her mouth before continuing to speak. "Chaos Incarnate's s'posed to be a human, like you n' me."

"What?" Angel leaned forward, baffled. "I thought it'd be like... Some weird monster or something."

"Oh, it is." Lexi nodded convincingly. "It just wears human skin."

"See, the Dark Fountain is the catalyst." Lexi took up an uncharacteristically serious tone, her eyes narrowing down into her bowl. "You throw the right human in there, and boom, Chaos Incarnate has its vessel and is ready to return to this world."

"Least, that's what The Doctor told dad." Lexi shrugged, looking back up to Angel.

"The Doctor?" Angel tilted his head to the side with heavier confusion.

"Yeah, you know, The Doctor?" Lexi reached up, running her fingers over her face to form a line of ice running up from her right eyelid to her hairline and another running from her bottom left eyelid down her cheek. "Man, you hero guys really _are_ outta the loop."

"Yeah, been comin' to that conclusion myself lately..." Angel's eyes darted to the side as he frowned.

"See, my old man wasn't always the undisputed heavy weight king." Lexi leaned one elbow on the stump-table. "There was three other kings that helped rule, up until The Doctor appeared and uh... Put 'em in time out. Permanently."

"And no one had any objections?" Angel furrowed his brows.

"Wouldn'ta mattered if anyone did. The Doctor was too powerful." Lexi shook her head, staring into her ice cream, which she shifted around in the bowl with her spoon. "He put my dad in charge, and told us to find the Vessel."

"And your dad thinks that's you?" Angel asked, and Lexi shrugged.

"I mean, I'm the only human we got. Least, until you came along..." Lexi muttered thoughtlessly, resting her chin on her fist.

Suddenly, her eyes widened with realization, darting back to Angel. "Hey! Maybe _you're_ Chaos Incarnate!"

"W-what?!" Angel recoiled, leaning back.

"Yeah! I mean, you're a human, and you're on our team now!" Lexi leaned forward excitedly. "It could totally be you!"

"Why wouldn't it be you?!" Angel exclaimed, flustered.

"Well everyone thinks it's me, but c'mon, there's no way right?" Lexi shrugged, gesturing to herself. "I mean I'm _wacky_ , but I'm not _chaotic_."

"And I am?" Angel threw his hands up, clearly baffled.

"... Hmm..." Lexi pursed her lips then, reaching up and stroking her imaginary beard thoughtfully. "Guess you got a point there..."

"But it's gotta be one of us, right?" Lexi looked back to Angel. "It can't be the wizard or MC Sweetness, they certainly don't fit the bill."

Angel mulled over Lexi's words for a moment or two, but ultimately pushed them and the anxiety they brought away. The identity of the Vessel didn't matter, if that legend was even true.

He had absolute faith in Anthony, after all. This plan to resurrect Chaos Incarnate would never come to fruition so long as his best friend was on the case, of that Angel was certain.

"Hey you two!"

Angel looked over his shoulder, smiling lightly as he spotted Anthony and Xander making their way towards the stump. Anthony had his hand raised, waving it back and forth.

"Sup nerds?" Predator called with a playful tone, grinning over Angel's shoulder towards the incoming heroes.

"Nothing much." Xander spoke, before arching a brow down at the ice cream. "How uh... How are those evil plans coming along?"

"None'a your business, that's how." Lexi spoke with a mouthful of ice cream, pointing her spoon at the wizard.

"... Right." Xander squinted condescendingly.

"Hey, this is all part of our ingenious plan." Angel boasted, and Anthony titled his head to the side with confusion.

"Going on a date is part of your plan?" Anthony asked, making Angel stiffen as his hair shadowed his eyes.

"W-what?! No! We aren't-!"

"Oh yeah!" Lexi grinned confidently. "This date is a huge part of our dastardly plan!"

"You are not helping!" Angel snapped, his face not dissimilar from a tomato's shade.

"I'm pretty sure I am." Lexi smirked and closed her eyes, nodding her head.

"Eugh!" Angel buried his face in his hands, making Anthony laugh and put a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

"So are you good at sports?!"

"You're certainly cute and fluffy!"

"Do you uhm... Wear glasses?"

Anthony happily kicked his feet as he sat between two of Clover's three heads, the middle head curling back to rub her cheek against his mane of white hair affectionately.

"I'm a really good batter in baseball," Anthony pointed to the right head.

"Thank you very much!" Anthony addressed the middle head next, smiling and reaching up to pet her head appreciatively.

"And, actually, I do need reading glasses." Anthony grinned sheepishly over to the left head. "But I forgot them at home, sorry."

The three heads let out an "Aww..." Of disappointment, and Anthony frowned with guilt for a moment, before his face lit up with a realization.

"Oh! I might have a picture on my phone!"

Xander crossed his arms, smirking with some amusement as he watched Anthony scroll through his camera roll with the three eager heads.

"And this is my friend Angel, and this is my mom!"

"I see where you got your fluffiness from."

"I bet she's NICE! Like ME!"

"Would she approve of us..?"

Xander was baffled as to how Anthony easily kept up conversation with all three heads. He remained polite and sweet and clearly listened to every word Clover said, and somehow she got tired of talking before he did!

Anthony smiled and hummed as Clover slowly lowered to the ground, her three heads closing their eyes once they rested peacefully on the grass. Anthony continued to hum some sort of lullaby, and in moments Clover was sleeping soundly.

Anthony gently stepped off of Clover, leaning down and planting one sweet kiss atop each of her sleepy heads. All three of them smiled softly in their sleep, and a rainbow formed over their heads.

"Aww..." Anthony whispered, smiling quite happily at Clover's sleeping faces.

"You think everything's cute, don't you?" Xander crossed his arms, and Anthony furrowed his brows over at him.

"Everything _is_ cute!" Anthony exclaimed defensively, throwing his hands into the air.

Xander laughed, and the two continued on along the path.

"So is that why you ship Angel and Lexi? You think it's cute?" Xander arched a brow over at Anthony.

"Look, all I'm saying is that if their baby was a boy they'd name it Anthony, and if it was a girl they'd name it Anny." Anthony shrugged over to Xander as they made their way into a bake sale. "So basically it's a win-win for me."

"..." Xander slowly shook his head, chuckling to himself. "You really live in your own world, don't you?"

"It's bright and sunny." Anthony responded with a smile, before the two had made their way to the stand that Lexi and Angel were posted at.

"Welcome, valued costumers!" Angel grinned in a way Anthony knew only he could, imbued with all of his lovable scoundrel charisma.

*He looks like he's having fun.

That made Anthony happy. Angel didn't get out much, and though he tried his best to hide it from Anthony, the albino cinnamon roll knew his best friend wasn't... Always the happiest.

That's why Anthony tried his hardest to be as positive as he could be around his more cynical friend. He cared a lot about Angel. Angel was his best and... His _only_ friend. Well, at least until the two came here. Up until then, everyone always almost seemed... Afraid of Anthony, in a way.

Angel never acknowledged it, Anthony's guess was that he didn't want him to figure out how most people saw him. But of course, Anthony _did_ notice these things.

At first he thought it was because he was human, but then he learned that he wasn't like most humans, either. Even here, in this weird wacked out dark world, there was no one else like him.

And... That made Anthony ache, deep down. Caused a kind of loneliness that not even Angel's friendship couldn't completely medicate.

But Angel tried his best to make Anthony feel like he belonged, and for the most part he succeeded. His effort alone made Anthony feel very grateful, and that's why it made Anthony happy to see Angel enjoying himself. His friend's laid back nature might make one believe otherwise, but Anthony knew Angel worked very hard. He deserved to be happy.

"Care for a Lexi Cookie?" Lexi reached under the counter, bringing up a plate of cookies, each of which was in the shape of her face. "All proceeds go to whoopin' your ass."

"You two baked cookies?" Xander tilted his head to the side.

"Only forty dark dollars." Angel winked an eye shut, resting his chin on his fist.

"Sure!" Anthony smiled, reaching for the bag of coins on his hip.

Lexi laughed maniacally when Anthony handed over the money, and after Angel handed his friend the cookie, the two darted from behind the stand, Xander and Anthony watching with confusion and amusement as the two ran over to Hathy's donut stand.

"And how is a donut gonna help your evil plans?" Xander called over to them, and they both glared back at him.

"Evil fuel!" Lexi called back like it was obvious, before hopping onto Angel's back. The two laughed obnoxiously, and Angel ran ahead with Lexi in tow, giggling happily from his back.

"..." Anthony watched them run off, smiling and shaking his head. "I think that's the most active thing I've seen Angel do in years."

"He certainly seems to be enjoying himself." Xander observed with a similar smile. "Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea."

"Angel always was the idea man." Anthony shrugged, beginning to walk ahead after the two.

"Oh yeah?" Xander tilted his head curiously, looking over to Anthony.

"When we were little, I pretty much just followed him around like a stray puppy." Anthony chuckled, smiling lightly as he looked ahead. "But I think that made Angel feel important, having me to look over."

"You guys have been friends for awhile, huh?" Xander looked ahead thoughtfully, and Anthony nodded.

"Almost as long as I can remember." He explained. "Me n' Angel are like brothers. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him, and there's nothing he wouldn't do for me."

"That sounds really nice. You're very lucky to have a friend like that." Xander's eyes drifted to the ground then, and narrowed almost painfully. He almost whispered, "I wish I could've had someone like that..."

"Hm..?" Anthony furrowed his brows with some worry as he glanced over to Xander. "What was that?"

"O-oh! Nothing!" Xander smiled nervously as he looked back up to Anthony, scratching the back of his head while he waved a hand dismissively.

"..." Anthony smiled with care over at Xander. "Well, me and Angel have been friends for a very long time, but I'm really glad that you're my friend too, Xander."

Xander's eyes widened some at this, before his lips curved up with some measure of comfort.

"... Thank you Anthony. I'm very glad to be your friend, too."

* * *

Angel smirked to himself, closing his eyes and resting his hands behind his head. He and Lexi were in two separate lawn chairs, relaxing as they awaited the arrival of the good guys that followed them.

He thought it was funny, how little Lexi actually seemed to care about catching his friends. For all her talk of being the villain, to Angel she seemed... Completely harmless. It was as if this was all a friendly game to her, there was nothing malicious about her.

 _"You throw the right human in there, and boom, Chaos Incarnate has its vessel and is ready to return to this world."_

That made Angel's smirk almost a frown, and his eyes opened, unable to look at the image that memory put on the inside of his eyelids.

Was Lexi the Vessel? Had her father really been prepping her to be... Essentially sacrificed?

 _"It just wears human skin."_

From the sound of it, whoever the Vessel was would disappear once they were tossed in the Fountain. That thought was... Terrifying. For him, and for any of the other human candidates he knew.

For Lexi...

"Hey, Angel..?"

Angel's head lifted, and he glanced over to Lexi, who stared thoughtfully into the dark sky, her hands behind her head. Her expression was uncharacteristically serious.

"What's up, Lex?" Angel propped himself up on his elbows as he looked over at her.

"... Thanks for pallin' around with me." Lexi spoke after a pause. "I uh, don't really... Have anybody to hang out with."

"..." Lexi's eyes glossed to the side, away from Angel. "... I don't have any friends."

"Everybody around here's always seemed like they're, I dunno... Afraid of me?" Lexi shrugged, continuing to avoid eye contact. "It's probably because they all think I'm gonna be the Vessel. And I'm the King's daughter. And for awhile I was the only human down here."

Angel listened intently, and when Lexi turned to look back at him and smiled, he felt... A certain type of way. A way entirely unfamiliar. It was pleasant and warm, but also fleeting, quickly replaced by an odd sense of longing for a moment that passed just seconds ago.

"I guess what I'm gettin' at is, that I think you're the first person to ever take the time to be nice to me." Lexi's painted face curved up in a warm and appreciative expression, one as genuine as she always seemed to be to Angel. "And I really appreciate that."

Angel stumbled over his words for a moment, and they caught a few times on their way up his throat for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of. Somehow, such a simple show of appreciation had confounded and baffled him into speechlessness for seconds that, to him at least, felt like hours. And somehow, that was embarrassing. Made heat rise to Angel's cheeks before he finally managed to choke something out.

"It's no problem, Lexi. You're my friend, I like having you around."

Though Angel felt a thousand doubts about his word choice and sentence structure and any small thing he could nit pick from that sentence, it looked like Lexi hadn't had a problem with any of it. In fact her smile widened, and it looked as though his words had made her very happy.

And that made Angel happy. Brought back that pleasant and warm feeling he'd wanted desperately ever since it disappeared half a minute ago.

"... Hey." Lexi eventually spoke, after laying back down and looking back up to the black sky. "Can I tell you something? Y'know, since we're friends n' all?"

"Of course." Angel looked over at her, laying back down as well.

"..." Lexi hesitated, and her eyes narrowed painfully. Her words choked her, and it took all of her strength to force them out.

"... I don't wanna be The Vessel..."

Angel's eyebrows raised with surprise, and he turned his head to look at her.

"It's... Really scary." Lexi sat up, and she pulled her knees to her chest. "Knowing that I'm gonna get put in the fountain and... That there's a chance it won't be me who walks back out..."

"I don't wanna go, but... With the arrival of the Heroes, I get the feeling that the day's gonna be coming soon." Lexi lowered her head, hugging her knees tight.

"Maybe that's why I've been trying to enjoy myself so much lately, and... Why I'm so glad to finally have a friend." Lexi smiled sorrowfully, strands of hair falling and shadowing her eyes.

"... Because I'm gonna die soon."

"No you aren't."

Lexi looked up with surprise, finding Angel had sat up and was looking to her now with an expression she hadn't seen before, at least not in him. It was a DETERMINED stare, a serious gleam in his emerald eyes.

"You're my friend, Lexi. And I won't let them sacrifice you for that stupid chaos thing." Angel frowned, shaking his head. "There's no way."

"But, Angel..." Lexi lowered her knees, turning to face him. "If it isn't me it's you, and... I don't wanna lose my only friend..."

"No one is going in that dumb fountain." Angel stood then, staring down at one dumbfounded Lexi. "We're gonna seal it so no one has to give their life."

"We..?" Lexi repeated skeptically and quietly, tilting her head slowly to the side.

"The legend says Four Heroes seal the fountain. Me, Xander and Anny add up to three. We need one more." Angel smiled then, and he reached out to Lexi with one hand. "We need _you_ , Lexi."

"M-Me?!" Lexi recoiled with surprise, putting a hand over her chest. "B-but, I'm not a hero! I'm the daughter of the King, I might be the Vessel, I'm the bad guy!"

"Lex this morning my biggest issue was not having milk for my Reese's Puffs. A few hours later I'm chillin' in a whole other world with my new cool magic scythe friend. None'a this makes sense." Angel shook his head, continuing to hold out his hand. "Forget the past, the world needs us now. The world needs _you_ now."

"... Whoa..." Lexi's lips curved up slowly, and she reached up for Angel's hand. "You give a really good hero speech!"

"So you'll do it?" Angel asked almost excitedly as he helped Lexi to her feet. "You'll help us?"

"Heck yeah!" Lexi grinned, nodding her head giddily. "Lets save the fricken world!"

"Woo!" Angel agreed with hype, and the two high fived loudly.

* * *

Angel and Lexi waited for Anthony and Xander to arrive, and informed them of Lexi's side change.

Xander was ecstatic that they'd finally gathered all four heroes, and Anthony was happy to finally have Angel traveling with them again, with the added bonus of another new friend.

Lexi went on to explain all she had told Angel of Chaos Incarnate, the Fountain and the Vessel to the other two. Xander listened intently, and Anthony had to try his best to not interrupt with gasps of shock and utter disgust.

But, in every way, he was baffled. For someone to be willing to sacrifice their own child, throw them into the blackness and destroy everything they once were just so they could become their own twisted vision...

What kind of Father would do such a thing?

And hearing that there was a possibility it could be any of them wasn't very comforting, either. Especially after Lexi said that she thought Angel was the second most likely to be the human skin for Chaos Incarnate, right after her.

But, Anthony decided it would be best to use that fear as a motivator to make sure no one ends up in that Fountain. Not Lexi, not Xander, and certainly not Angel.

He was their shield. He would keep them safe.

"Look, everyone! It's the castle!"

Anthony was shaken from his thoughts by Xander's words, and he paused with everyone else to turn and look to the castle in the distance.

Four separate cards were risen like flags around the steel gate entrance, and from its peak one could spot darkness, endlessly spewing high into the sky and sending a black rain falling perpetually over the castle.

Looking upon The source of Chaos made Anthony uneasy in a way that was hard to describe. He found himself imagining a beast, a calamity lurking just beneath the surface. Watching. Waiting.

"Yup, that's where I live!" Lexi grinned pridefully as she stepped forward, placing her hands on her hips. She hesitated after a moment, however.

"Me and uh... My dad."

"And that black thing coming out of the top is..?" Angel stepped closer to the distant structure.

"The Fountain, yes." Xander nodded his confirmation. "From there, you and Anthony will be able to return home."

"Heh, took long enough, right Anny?" Angel smirked over to Anthony as he nudged him with his elbow.

"Ehehe, yeah, you got that right." Anthony swallowed his nerves and gave Angel the biggest smile he could muster.

"Well, lets get a move on!" Angel grinned wide, and Xander and Anthony nodded, continuing ahead.

Lexi hesitated for a second, her hair shadowing her eyes as she looked at their final destination. She turned after another moment or two however, and walked after her party.

"Are... You guys sure there isn't some other way to seal the fountain and get you guys home?"

Angel furrowed his brows, he and the other two glancing over to Lexi, who walked with a slight slouch, skillfully evading their eyes.

"It's just... That the castle is heavily guarded." Lexi reached up, rubbing her shoulder. "It could be dangerous. And, if we fail, then my dad will have everything he needs..."

"No way!" Angel smiled in an attempt to reassure Lexi. "You've got nothing to worry about, Lex. Most'a the people around her can't resist Anny's friendship tractor beam."

Angel gestured to Anthony at that, and he grinned sheepishly and scratched his mane of white hair.

"But, Angel..." Lexi kept her head low, holding her hands together at her chest.

"And anyone else doesn't have a chance at overpowering our four man power team!" Angel clenched a fist out in front of himself as he stepped forward, confident smirk on his face.

"But... I..."

"There's nothin' to be afraid of, Lexi." Angel was certain of his words, until Lexi took a timid step back.

"I... I don't think..." Lexi turned her head to the side, not able to bear the concern that was creeping into Angel's eyes. "I don't think I thought this through..."

"Lexi..?" Angel slowly tilted his head to the side, watching Lexi take another step back.

"What's wrong?" Anthony asked with a tone of concern, taking a step closer and reaching out towards Lexi.

"I... I've gotta go." Lexi said suddenly, shaking her head and looking up at the party.

"What?" Xander furrowed his brows. "But we just-"

"This was a bad idea!" Lexi exclaimed with panic, taking several more steps back. "I have to go!"

"Lexi, wait!" Angel took a step forward, but Lexi turned on her heel, sprinting away and towards the castle.

"Come back!" Angel shouted, bolting past Anthony and Xander after her. "What's going on?!"

"Angel, Lexi! Hold on!" Xander ran after the two next, leaving Anthony dazed in the dust for a moment, before he shook his head, running after them all.

"Wait, guys! Slow down!" Anthony reached out desperately as he ran, only feeling like he was falling further behind.

"The Lightners are approaching the castle! Get them!"

Anthony's eyes went wide, darting to the rows of armored guards that filtered in along the sides of the path. Rudinn Rangers' fired diamond shaped swords at Anthony, who swiftly yanked his shield from his back, blocking whatever projectiles he couldn't weave between.

"Damn it..! I need to catch up!" Anthony jumped, several blades flinging under his feet before he landed, continuing his sprint. "They need me!"

He was rapidly approaching the castle, as were his friends ahead of him. In this moment he felt abandoned, helpless and useless as a blade sliced over his cheek, leaving a thin red streak in his face, from which blood streamed down to his chin.

That pain sent something coursing through him, made his red soul flare from the odd sense of familiarity that pain caused.

 _"CATCH THIS ONE WITH YOUR TEETH, ASSHOLE!"_

Anthony shook his head, pushing away words he was certain he had heard but he was uncertain from where.

A Rudinn Ranger darted out in front of Anthony, and he pulled back his shield without hesitation, once again whipping it from his arm and sending it bashing into the ranger's face, knocking them flat and sending the shield bouncing back into his grasp just before he jumped over the prone body.

Anthony wanted to look back at the ranger's face as he felt a sudden bit of concern from his act of violence. To do something so harsh was incredibly unlike him, and to pull off such a precise strike should have been beyond his limitations. But, somehow, he'd done these things like they were second nature.

The rapid fire attacks that he'd skillfully weaved around began to slow as he caught up with his friends, reaching the yard just before the gate of the castle.

Lexi darted inside the castle, and just as Angel reached the entrance, steel bars slammed shut between him and Lexi.

"Lexi!" He grabbed onto the bars, coming to a stop and gripping the metal with white knuckles. "What are you doing?! Why won't you talk to me?"

Lexi just stood there, her back turned on her friends.

"... I thought we were friends..." Angel spoke quietly this time, and his expression softened, a distinct pain entering his eyes.

Lexi lowered her head, and without a word, she disappeared into the shadows of the castle.

"Hate to ruin the moment, but we have bigger problems."

Angel looked over his shoulder, and his jaw clenched as he watched a legion of Rudinn Rangers form a circle around him and his friends, who both stood with their backs facing Angel, forming a defensive position around him. Anthony had his shield brought up, and embers flickered in Xander's outstretched hands.

"... Right." Angel's hair fell over his eyes as he pulled his spear from his back. A deep scowl formed on his face.

"Lets kick some ass."

* * *

Angel's emerald eyes slowly flickered open, the dull ache of his bruised body stirring him from unconsciousness.

He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his skull, left eye scanning over his surroundings, his right winced shut.

He appeared to be in a pretty standard concrete jail cell, complete with a metal bar door and mossy corners.

And not a single roommate.

 _"You throw the right human in there, and boom, Chaos Incarnate has its vessel and is ready to return to this world."_

Lexi's words echoed in Angel's head once more, and that bitter scowl overtook his face as he climbed to his feet.

Lexi had left him for dead, and what's worse is that he was separated from Anthony. He wasn't able to protect him now, of all times.

"Aww, poor little Lightner!"

Angel's ice cold eyes darted to the Rudinn guard who laughed mockingly from the other side of the door.

"We were told to imprison you here for eternity! Too bad!" The Rudinn grinned mockingly. "I would have loved to see you get tortured!"

Angel smiled wickedly at that.

"Well, what's stoppin' you tough guy?" Angel tilted his head to the side as he walked up to the door, that being the only thing separating him and his guard. "Why don'tcha open this door and see what happens?"

"Like I'd fall for that." Rudinn scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"What, you afraid of the scrawny, weaponless Lightner?" Angel tilted his head to the side, malice flashing in his usually kind green eyes. "Are you a little bitch, is that it?"

"Watch it, kid." There was venom on Rudinn's tongue, and Angel grinned a little wider as his guard squinted angrily at him.

"Or what, pusscake?" Angel shrugged, stepping back away from the door. Rudinn growled with aggravation.

"Look, I'll make it easy for ya." Angel put his hands behind his back, smiling like the scoundrel he was. "No hands."

"... You're gonna regret this, brat."

Angel's eyes narrowed, his smile only widening as the Rudinn unlocked the door, stepping into the cell.

Rudinn cried out wrathfully, yanking his blade up over his head. Angel darted forward, and shock overcame his foe as his arm shot out from behind his back, wrapping around Rudinn's blade wielding wrist as his other hand cocked back in a fist.

Angel absolutely floored Rudinn with a right hook, knocking the darkner's feet - or, tail? - out from under him and sending him slamming onto the floor.

Angel pinned the arm he held to the floor, and cocked back his right fist, slugging Rudinn furiously, over and over. His slug-like body writhed under Angel as he was viciously beaten.

Eventually, bruised and bleeding, Rudinn stopped struggling, and Angel stood after plucking the keys from his hip. His chest heaved, adrenaline and fury still pumping through his veins as he stared down at his victim, who whimpered pathetically from the floor.

"Think before you speak, punkass." Angel spat one spiteful loogie onto Rudinn's cheek, before walking through the cell door and slamming it shut behind him. As he turned around and locked it, Rudinn looked to him with one swollen eye.

"You... Said you weren't gonna... Use your hands..." Rudinn whimpered pathetically.

"Aww, Roody Poo!" Angel smiled, crouching down to be at eye level with Rudinn as fake care entered his eyes and tone. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

The fake care disappeared from Angel's voice as quickly as it came, replaced by a dark venom that made Rudinn flinch. Angel's smile faded, and his eyes were devoid of light, illuminated instead by the fury he'd unleashed on his unsuspecting victim.

 **"I'm a liar."**

* * *

"Understand? The Lightners have to stay in their cells." Lexi crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke to the Rudinn Ranger. "And my father is not to hear a _peep_ about their arrival, got it? Especially the one with the spear."

"And that isn't an order from the princess." Lexi's eyes narrowed darkly then, and she took a step forward. "That's an order from The Vessel."

The Ranger nodded swiftly, before scurrying off, almost fearfully. This left Lexi alone in the prison hallways.

"... The Vessel, eh Lex?"

... Well, almost alone.

Lexi's eyes widened, and she spun around in shock to spot Angel standing at the entrance to the hallway. He was missing the blue hood and cape that was usually apart of his dark world attire, but in his left hand he clenched his spear tight.

"A-Angel?!" She exclaimed, taking one stunned step back. She grimaced at his expression, "You... Look a little miffed... Ehehe..."

"Why don'tcha ask the guard that I just beat within an inch of his life with my bare hands how 'miffed' I am?" Angel narrowed his eyes coldly, tilting his head to the side.

"W-whoa... That's really metal..." Lexi's eyebrows rose with surprise, and she gulped.

"Lexi, what the hell?" Angel shrugged, his anger subsiding to display his disbelief. "I thought we were friends?"

"W-we are friends!" Lexi exclaimed, sadness slipping into her ice blue eyes.

"Friends don't lock each other in dungeons, Lexi!" Angel shouted angrily, making Lexi flinch and lower her head. "They don't betray each other, they don't leave one another for dead!"

"I locked you down here to protect you!" Lexi snapped, her jaw clenching and her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Don't you get it?! If you fight my dad, he's gonna kill you!"

Angel recoiled as Lexi glared right back at him, her nerve returning.

"Nobody knows that better than me, Angel!" Tears built in Lexi's eyes as she yelled, reaching up and grabbing the black cloak she usually kept herself shrouded in. "The man is unstoppable!"

Lexi tore her cloak aside, throwing it to the concrete floor and revealing her mostly exposed upper body, apart from the medical wrapping that went around her chest, binding her breasts.

Angel was stunned. She was... Covered. Scars on her arms, abdomen, back. He had to assume there were some under her jeans.

"He trained me to be the Vessel... I've fought him a hundred times, so I should know..." Lexi lowered her head, her voice cracking. "He's ruthless. He didn't hold back on me and he won't hold back on you. And I..."

"... I-I just don't want my only friends getting hurt..."

"..." Angel couldn't find the words. What ones could possibly be appropriate for this situation?

"Even if it means I have to be sacrificed... If you guys are safe, then... Then I'm alright with that..."

So he didn't speak. Instead, he stepped forward, reached out, and hugged Lexi to his chest. She clung to him as she sobbed, buried her face in his shoulder and smeared her skeleton themed makeup.

"... I'm sorry you had to go through all that." Angel eventually spoke quietly, smoothing her long black hair with the palm of his hand. "But... You know we have to seal the fountain. And that might mean we have to go through your dad. I'm sorry."

"... Yeah, I... I know..." Lexi sniffled, and she looked up to Angel with a weak smile. "If you broke outta the dungeon, maybe you really are unstoppable... H-heh..."

Angel smiled right back down at her, feeling that weight that her sorrow had put on his heart lift as he once more saw that beautiful gleam in her blue eyes.

The two stood there like that for another moment or two, before Lexi started to snicker, shaking her head.

"What?" Angel furrowed his brows with confusion, and Lexi smirked up at him.

"Are you gonna kiss me or what?" She cocked a brow, and Angel's face immediately went beat red.

"W-wait, what?!" He exclaimed, clearly flustered. "I-I wasn't-! I mean! I don't! I-I mean-!"

Lexi just rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You're terrible at this."

Then, she stood up on her tippy toes, and cut off Angel's embarrassed babbling by pressing her lips to his.

Angel's eyes de-panicked pretty immediately, a warm and fuzzy wave of content washing over him. His shoulder sunk some, and he seemed to relax in Lexi's arms, his blush dying down from a beat red to a light pink.

Eventually, Lexi pulled away, smiling up at Angel. "Better?"

Angel looked from side to side thoughtfully, before nodding. "Yeah, lil' bit."

"That's good." Lexi stepped back away from Angel. "Now lets go get our friends."

"You don't have to help us fight him." Angel said as Lexi picked up her cloak, covering her scars once more. "I understand, really."

"I'm not gonna let my new boyfriend get killed by my dad." She shrugged, and Angel's eyes widened at her words. She looked over her shoulder at him and spoke casually, "Oh, also, you're my boyfriend now."

"Okay!" Angel spoke quickly, nodding his head as that pink shade returned to his face.

* * *

Anthony paced back and forth in his cell, Xander watching him with some measure of concern.

He hated this, being in a confined space. It's not that the cell was particularly cramped, it was more the concept of being trapped. It brought Anthony back to that nightmare. To that basement, to the face stealer, to the worms and to the cro-

"It's going to be alright, Anthony."

Anthony relaxed some as he felt Xander's hand rest on his shoulder, and looked over to see his reassuring smile.

... He wasn't alone. He had a friend. That was what was important. That was something to hold on to.

"Thanks, Xander..." Anthony smiled somewhat timidly. "I guess I'm just worried about Ang-"

"Anny you ruffian!"

Anthony perked up, a hopeful look appearing in his eye as he looked to the door.

"Locked up in prison, tut tut!" Angel crossed his arms and shook his head, that charisma filled smirk on his face. "What would you poor sweet mother say?"

"... Well," Anthony returned Angel's smirk as he made his way to the cell door, Lexi kneeling down to put a key in the lock. "She'd probably ask what Angel got me into this time."

The two smiled at one another, and when Lexi got the door open they both stepped forward into an embrace, hugging one another tight and patting each other somewhat roughly on the back.

"I'm glad you're okay." Anthony stepped back away and out of the doorway, letting Xander escape the cell as well. "Both of you."

"Yeah uh... Sorry about getting you guys locked up." Lexi stood back to her full height, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. Anthony and Xander realized that she was missing her skeleton face paint, revealing light skin that was dusted an embarrassed pink shade. "I was kinda goin' through some stuff."

"Water under the bridge!" Anthony smiled brightly, extending his hand for a handshake.

"..." Instead of shaking his hand, Lexi reached out, pinching Anthony's cheeks. "Oh you're so sweet I could just eat you up!"

"Pishaw..." Anthony blushed lightly, turning his head to the side and waving a hand dismissively.

Xander and Angel got a good laugh out of that, before Angel stepped back, pointing with his thumb down the hallway.

"As fun as this reunion is, we're on the clock." Angel spoke, and the other three looked to him. "There's an elevator that way. Lets get a move on."

"Sounds like a plan!" Lexi agreed with a grin, and the four continued down the halls until they reached the elevator.

They all stepped inside, and Anthony's finger hovered over the buttons for floors.

There were three options. The current floor, Floor 1, and...

It was smudged, label scratched away. Entirely unintelligible. And yet...

Anthony's finger moved on its own, in a knee jerk reaction with no thought at all, and pressed the button. He blinked with confusion at his own actions, but shrugged it off with an audible 'Whoops'.

"Whoops?" Xander arched a brow over to Anthony, who grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"I uh... Kinda hit the wrong button." He said, before looking over to where Lexi and Angel stood quite near each other. "Lexi, do you know anything about this button? It's label's smudged."

"Oh, the funky button?" Lexi asked, and Anthony nodded. "No idea. My dad always told me not to push it."

"But, I'm on a different team now, so fight the power, Sweetness! I like it!" Lexi followed up, pumping her fist into the air and making Angel and Anthony laugh.

"Heh, alright. Well I guess we're visiting the mystery floor first, then." Anthony smiled, leaning against the wall of the elevator.

A few more moments passed, before they all felt the elevator come to a stop, and the metal doors slid open.

The sound of oddly slow circus music pervaded the air like a musky odor, and with equally confused expressions the party slowly exited the elevator, glancing around the blank hallway they were entering, a staircase at their feet. The idea of a staircase right below an elevator struck Angel as intentionally making more work for whomever built the castle, but he didn't voice his gripes as they made their way down the steps to the one and only cell at the end of the room.

"Oh? Could it be? The heir has found himself locked away?"

"Uhh... _Herself_ , actually." Lexi corrected the speaking shadows behind those metal bars. "And, no, I'm not in jail, you are..?"

"The heir, the heir!" Beady yellow dots appeared in the vantablack, watching the four gleefully. "Sleeping so sound after such nasty deeds, deeds!"

Anthony watched those eyes carefully, and he took a step to each side to test his theory. As he thought, they followed him, and him alone.

"Have you come to me for the key?" Those eyes never blinked. "Not with me, though I am the only one who's free!"

"What are you talkin' about..?" Angel muttered with confusion, before watching with concern as Anthony gradually stepped closer to the bars.

"The fountain, the fountain! Flip a coin inside the fountain!" Those beady eyes jumped around, and they could hear the pitter patter of feet inside the cell. "Revive the heir and contest the throne, throne!"

"Are you... Talking to me..?" Anthony took another step closer, standing right in front of those bars and placing a hand over his chest.

"Uee hee hee! Two in one, very special indeed!"

"What do you mean two in one..?" Anthony gently placed his hand on the cool steel of the bars that separated him and the one speaking in riddles.

"Heads and tails, one inside the fountain!" The sporadic movements of those eyes died down, and they crept closer to the bars. "Swim, swim! The red ocean is locked inside the basement!"

"The... Basement..?" Anthony almost felt entranced, hanging onto every mad word that was spoken in riddles. He placed his other hand on the metal, and he got even closer...

"Uee hee hee!"

Blue gloved hands and black sleeves shot from behind the bars, and Anthony's eyes widened as they grabbed him by the collar. A grey face appeared just on the other side of the bars, gold staring into ruby as Anthony's eyes locked with the mad jester's.

"Free, free! Can't you see?!" Jevil exclaimed excitedly as he shook Anthony through the bars, Anthony's eyes going wide and his pale hands wrapping around Jevil's wrists. "You and me will be free! Heirs to the throne! Chaos's Crown could be your own!"

"Get off him!" Angel interjected then, shoving between the two and reaching through the bars to plant one hand on Jevil's chest, pulling Anthony away and shoving the jester back into the shadows.

Jevil cackled, laughed, hee'd and haw'd while Anthony was guided by Angel and Lexi back towards the elevator, everyone watching that cage like they thought it might bust open any second.

But it did not. All that got through was Jevil's laughs, and one word that he repeated, over and over.

"Chaos, chaos! Chaos chaos! Uee hee hee! Chaos! Chaos!"

Angel slammed his hand down on the elevator button, and he, Lexi and Xander all breathed a sigh of relief as the four ascended, and left that madman in his cell where he belonged.

"Are you alright, Anthony?" Xander looked over to Anthony, who stared down into his open palm with a thoughtful expression.

"... Anthony?" Lexi cocked a brow as Anthony remained unresponsive.

"... Anny!" Angel suddenly shouted, making Anthony jump.

"S-sorry! Yeah, I'm alright!" Anthony nodded quickly, blushing with embarrassment. "Sorry, I-I just kinda zoned out is all..."

"Well, try to forget that weirdo, alright?" Angel put an arm around Anthony. "Screw ball's been down there an eternity. Doesn't have a clue what he's talking about."

"To be fair I didn't have a clue what he was talking about either." Xander crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall of the elevator. Angel snapped and pointed at him to agree.

"Right now we got bigger fish to fry, anyway." Lexi smiled to reassure Anthony, and he blinked once or twice, before nodding.

"... Right, yeah. I'm good. Lets do this."

* * *

All was silent but the splatter of the Fountain's black rain atop the castle's highest platform.

Upon the roof, a single battleground. A black platform, with a spade symbol in it's center.

At its far end, he sat with his back facing the entrance. The crown on his head weighed heavy, dripping with the black madness that the fountain spouted down upon his kingdom.

Footsteps.

King smiled his crooked smile, the Four Heroes standing at the other end of his battleground. A shield, a spear, a scythe, and a flame.

He drew in a deep breath, and in a voice deep enough to rock one's very soul, he spoke.

 **"The sky will run black with terror**

 **And the land will crack with fear.**

 **Then, her heart pounding...**

 **The Earth will draw her final breath."**

Anthony's eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched.

Angel grit his teeth, pointing that spear forward.

Lexi exhaled white fog, ice lining the blade of her scythe.

Xander gulped, embers crackling to life in his open palms.

King looked over his shoulder, and as his eyes met theirs, a droplet of black landed upon his cheek, streaking down his face.

 **"Welcome, Vessel."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	24. Chapter 24: The Bastard Son (Part 1)

**Thanks go to Gray Kanzakai, Tbone8454, Wingah, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Monkey D. Chimera, bananahead1, fergusans18, Alrarora, 10burgers, Jack54311, NBoss01, MoltenLavaMan, BadDRUMMERboy15, and GenoWar.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.**

* * *

 _"Hah... Hah..."_

 _Pale fingers wrapped around the gate of that chain link fence, the crimson liquid they were drenched in leaving smudged finger prints. He dragged his fingers over the metal, shoving the latch of the fence up before he batted the gate open with his hip._

 _His right foot dragged, streams of red running down from his pant leg, no doubt from the bullet hole in his right thigh. His breaths were labored, and the blood soaked hand he'd moved the latch of that familiar gate with once more grabbed at the aching and oozing gash in his left side. His back was peppered with cuts and the occasional bullet wound, each one sending streams of crimson trickling down his flesh and staining his shirt._

 _Each gasp for air brought that reeking iron odor into his lungs. It was inescapable. The dark red coated his chin, stained his teeth and stuck to his tongue and gums._

 _In the sadistic outburst that had prolonged his suffering and given him the opportunity to carry his corpse to the only Heaven he'd ever known, the blood that had filled his mouth was absolutely delicious. It spewed from the throat he'd used his teeth to rip open, washed down the salty chew of his victim's throat fat with the iron flavored spray from his punctured jugular._

 _An unusual flavor, but one The Anarchist knew well enough. He was a rabid dog who'd been known to get a taste for human flesh on occasion._

 _But now his fury had left him, replaced by the cold contemplation of his impending demise. Wood chips crunched under his feet, his weakening heart thudded desperately in his ears._

 _His left arm hung limp, fingers refusing to loosen their grasp on his one and only possession even as ruby streams wet them, no doubt from the knife still lodged in that shoulder. It was his birth right after all, his inheritance. That crowbar was all he had and all he knew._

 _He was the Bastard Son, the Son of a Bitch. He had clawed from the depths with those four letter titles branded on his flesh and the object of his torment in hand. He was a fighter, a killer, a survivor, and an array of much nastier, much more crude words._

 _But now that crowbar weighed heavy in his hand. The scars that branded him ached and bled._

 _His knees gave out, and he grunted as he dropped down to the earth he'd been born beneath. His chest heaved, and he doubled over, vomiting his crimson colors over the dull brown of the wood chips. he painted them, though it killed him. He made them beautiful._

 _Anthony coughed and sputtered, on his hands and knees as the clouds parted at the edge of the tainted sky, sending bitter sweet orange shades cascading across the skyline._

 _Though_ _he was dying, though his body was going numb and his blood was running dry, The Anarchist still found himself snickering as the light finally washed over him. As if now, in his sorry state, it was finally ready to accept him._

 _"Heh... What, **now** you want me..?" Anthony's lips, cracked and blood soaked, curved up as he lifted his head, looking between the two swings of the swing set before him and out to the blinding lights of the sunset. " **Now** I'm good enough for you..?" _

_"Fuck you..." Anthony shook and lowered his head, light fading in and out of his ruby eyes. "I was good enough before and you pushed me away... Scorched my skin... Turned me into **this**..." _

_Anthony lifted his head again to look at the shining swing set one last time, and his eyes widened weakly as he watched a shimmering outline stand from the swing in which it sat. It approached him graciously, unafraid and without judgement._

 _Anthony slowly reached out, mouth hanging open with his weak breaths. He was stunned by this beauty. This act of KINDNESS, of MERCY. To be accepted here, at the end of his life._

 _But..._

 _His fingers twitched as they grasped towards his guardian Angel, before The Anarchist hesitated. He gradually turned his open palm back towards himself, his vision managing to focus in to inspect the crimson that forever stained his hands._

 _Hands that were once a pure ivory, that once hopefully reached out to distribute their love, their MERCY._ _Filthy now, tarnished. All that love and MERCY scrubbed away, painted over with the blood of his victims._

 _The little boy stood before the bastard, a holy figure gracing an abomination with its presence. Ruby and emerald eyes met one more time in this playground._

 _... Pretentious._

 _His teeth ground together. His dying eyes ignited with fury as he reached out with his tainted right hand, and his fingers wrapped around his Angel's throat. The boy didn't struggle in Anthony's grasp, didn't try to wriggle out of his righteous vice grip._

 _"Don't you get it..?!" His body trembled, but he lifted his crowbar over his head nonetheless. "You never had any right to stand over me..!"_

 _So he brought Angel down. Split his skull with his inheritance, beat in the child's head with the weight of his wrath._

 _Everything. All of his worthless life, climaxing in one vicious outburst. After being rejected a billion times, this time Anthony was the one to push away the kind act. Something he'd dreamed of for so long now unsweetened, bitter and sour adding to the disgusting flavor of blood in his mouth._

 _Angel had no right, after all. He and everyone else had abandoned him, tortured him and twisted him. This act was not MERCY, this was a cop out. A last second renege that made Anthony sick. That boiled what little blood he had left, filling him with enough rage to commit one last atrocity. One final act of defiance._

 _And when he finished, when his rage faded and was replaced by his bitter sorrows, the face of his guardian Angel was no longer recognizable. It was a malformed, red drenched mess. A grotesque outside to match it's grotesque inside._

 _"You... You were given everything, and I... I didn't get shit..." Anthony tossed the corpse away from himself, let it tumble limp to the ground a few feet away. That crowbar dropped from his grasp, drenched in red. It had grown too heavy, and Anthony had grown too weak._

 _The Anarchist dropped onto his right shoulder, and he grunted as he used what remained of his energy to flop onto his back, giving him a nice view of the beautifully colored clouds._

 _But he couldn't appreciate this sight. He couldn't understand. It eluded him completely. How could a good for nothing bastard like Angel be the one allowed to win? All Anthony had ever wanted to do was make people happy, and yet he was here, gargling his own blood while Angel was likely counting his money and laughing to himself like the demon he was._

 _Was the world really so cruel, to kill its savior and put its killer on a pedestal? What kind of God would allow this?_

 _That made The Anarchist smile. A sick, bitter kind of smile._

 _So there wasn't a God. Or, if there was, they must be a lot like him. What a revelation. And on Death's doorstep, of all places._

 _..._ _He was going to die. The Bastard Son, Son of a Bitch. Beaten and bloody, crowbar in the dirt at his side. All his worthless birthright and all his worthless life concluding as it had began, alone._

 _So none of it meant anything._

 _Anthony couldn't feel it, but... He thought that must've been pretty sad._

 _His eyes closed for the last time on the world that had twisted and maimed him._

 _And then he was... Falling._

 ** _*Not yet, my precious child... You still have a score to settle._**

 **Chapter 24: The Bastard Son**

 **Part 1**

 _"And for you to stand there, pretending to be a saint... Who the fuck do you think you are?!"_

* * *

"Step aside now, King." Anthony took a bold step forward, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "We don't want to fight you."

"Obviously." Methodically King climbed to his feet, turning to face the four heroes. "No one wants to fight a losing battle."

"Alright smartass," Angel growled with frustration, gripping his spear tight as he took a step forward as well. "I'm gonna make this real simple."

"Get out of our way _now_ , or I'm gonna shine this spear up real nice." Angel started nodding, anger flaring in his eyes as he forced a smile that was less than friendly. "Then you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna turn this SON'BITCH SIDE WAYS, AND SHOVE IT RIGHT UP! YOUR CANDY ASS!"

King frowned then. Deeply. He was clearly not amused. His fingers curled into fists, and slowly he exhaled a sigh of annoyance and disappointment.

"As furious as your disobedience makes me, you four have unknowingly done me a great service." King's lips curved upwards wickedly, his black cloak shifting some. "You have brought me the Vessel."

The four heroes tensed with his words, and Angel gripped his spear tight enough to whiten his knuckles.

"I do not know who among you will be the one to take Chaos Incarnate into their body. But that won't matter," King threw open his cloak then, and the gaping maw on his stomach opened wide with a berserk smile, it's pointed steel spade tongue firing out towards Angel at stunning speeds. "When I throw each of you in the Fountain!"

Angel only had time to take a stunned step back, before Anthony darted in front of him and brought up that shield. King's wicked chain deflected from Anthony's shield, and he and King locked eyes, a DETERMINED gleam in his ruby orbs.

"Hm." King grinned darkly, gripping the chain of his spade and yanking it back to himself. He planted his feet, eagerly awaiting a receipt for his attack.

"What do you wanna do, Anthony?" Lexi asked quietly, eyes darting from King to her albino companion.

"Do you want to continue trying to convince him?" Xander asked in the same manner, embers dancing on his finger tips as he sent Anthony a skeptical glance.

"He just tried to skewer my best friend." There was a stunning lack of warmth in the shield barer's tone, and his crimson eyes did not leave King as he spoke. His lips dragged down in a frown, and as he spoke, a droplet of black fell from above, landing just above his left eye. It ran in a dark stream, slipping along the bridge of his nose and then down his cheek. "Dust this bitch."

 _Chaos Bergentrückung_ by _SharaX_ began playing.

Lexi and Xander nodded at once, both jumping further out to their respective sides. Lexi pointed her scythe out at her poor excuse for a father, and blades of ice fired from it's chilled steel. Meanwhile Xander opened both palms to King, and bolts of flame launched repeatedly from his grasp and out towards the twisted monarch.

King laughed at this show of attitude, gripping his chained spade and swinging it rapidly in front of himself, making a sort of guard that the ice and the fire broke against, embers and shards of ice flicking through the air with the black rain.

Anthony and Angel looked to one another and nodded, before they both rushed forward, Angel leading with his spear and stabbing it right into King's spinning wall. Just as expected, the chain instantly wrapped around his spear, making his defense disappear.

Angel grinned up at King, just before he and Anthony spun, standing back to back and switching places so that Anthony was facing King while his friend restrained the monarch's weapon.

Anthony's jaw clenched, and he yanked back his shield, bashing King in the face with it and making the much larger man stumble back a few steps, blood trickling down from his nose.

Before the dynamic duo could continue their assault however, Anthony's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he threw up his shield just in time to let a second chained spade fling from King's stomach-maw and smash into it. The force carried the albino hero off his feet, launching him a yard or two back away from King before he landed, glaring at the despot from behind his shield's protection.

 _He's got two?!_ Angel thought, the first chain rapidly uncoiling from his spear and returning to the tyrant as he jumped back to Anthony's side.

"Hiyah!" Lexi cried out as she dropped from the sky, slashing overhead down at King with her scythe, who stepped back and out of the way.

"Ah, daughter." King ducked back out of the range of her second slash. "I'm disappointed by your betrayal, but I can't say I'm surprised."

"Shut!" Lexi swung her entire body around after missing her second swing, slicing at King a third time after spinning all the way around. "Up!"

"I know you're scared, daughter." King reached out, and Lexi's eyes widened as his large hand wrapped around the snath of her scythe and stopped it in place, it's point inches from his cheek. "I was in denial, but looking at you now..."

Lexi's wide eyes darted to King's raised fist, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead as a thousand unpleasant memories blasted through her mind.

 _ **"I always knew you weren't strong enough to be the Vessel."**_

"YEET!"

"Hm-? Agh!" King grunted with pain and stumbled back, letting go of Lexi's weapon to grab at his shoulder, which Angel's spear was now embedded in.

"Respect women, asshole." Angel glared, arm still extending after yeeting his spear like a javelin at the despot.

Lexi took this opportunity to jump back, pointing her blade down at King and firing several more ice blades down at her father, who was distracted by the pain crippling his left arm. He looked up to the oncoming attack with shock, before he was engulfed by the white mist that exploded out with shards of ice from the collision.

"Give it to 'em, X!" Angel and Anthony stepped to the sides, looking back to Xander, who outstretched two open palms. His muscles tensed and his eyes flared with the fire inside of him, before an explosive wave of flames blasted out from his finger tips, racing across the rooftop and smashing into the mist King was engulfed in and washing over it in a destructive orange burst.

"Who's not strong enough now, jackass?!" Lexi shouted spitefully as she landed at Angel's side. Then, without skipping a beat, she smiled over to him. "Nice save, by the way."

"Hey, what're boyfriends for?" Angel shrugged casually over to her.

"Wait what?" Anthony looked over to the two with wide eyes.

Before the two could explain, however, Xander's wave of flames died down, and all three pairs of eyes darted back to him as he dropped to one knee, panting heavily. Sweat beaded down his face, and the palms of his hands were blackened and cracked.

"Xander!" Anthony rushed to his side, kneeling next to him. "Are you alright?"

"Just... Takes everything to make an attack that big..." Xander spoke through labored breaths, smiling weakly up at Anthony. "I'll... I'll be okay..."

"Angel, you've got the healing items, right?" Anthony looked up to Angel, who nodded.

"Yeah, I got this." Angel popped open the satchel on his hip as he made his way towards the two, walking along the now ash covered grounds that made a straight line between Xander and the mass of smoke across the rooftop.

Anthony smiled with some relief as he watched Angel approach, before his eyes darted to the smoke as it suddenly blasted open, Angel's spear launching right back out towards its owner.

"Look out-!"

Angel's emerald eyes snapped open wide, his right shoulder lurching forward and sending him stumbling, before he fell flat on his face, sliding some over the concrete from the force that shoved him.

"ANGEL!" Anthony cried out, rushing to his friend's side and dropping to his knees next to him. His eyes darted to the spear that jutted straight up from Angel's shoulder blade, its point jammed deep into his bone. "Are you okay?"

Even while writhing in agony, Angel managed to open both eyes to shoot a glare up at Anthony for such a dumb question. Blood streamed in all directions from his shoulder, and cold sweat beaded down his now pale forehead. He was gritting his teeth and sucking air through those teeth, clearly in too much agony to speak.

"..." Anthony's eyes narrowed furiously, and he lifted his head to look in the direction of King. The despot's body had streams of ones and zeros running over it, healing the scorch marks upon his flesh. Black droplets ran in streams down Anthony's face as he looked upon his enemy, tainting his mane of pure white hair.

"... Sit tight, Angel. I'll handle this."

* * *

Lexi snarled furiously, ice blasting rapidly from her scythe at King, who casually spun one of his chains, shattering the ice to snow before it could reach him.

King threw back his free hand, yanking back his other spade chain before whipping it forward, Lexi's eyes widening as she jumped back into the air, the spade stabbing into the concrete where she'd been standing just a moment ago.

As she flew back through the air, however, her eyes darted to the glowing white spades that appeared around her, their points aiming at her with lethal precision as she was trapped in the air.

Just before her flesh was torn by the surrounding blades, however, one pale hand reached up and wrapped around her ankle, yanking her down from the sky and back down to the earth just as the spades fired, sailing over her head.

Lexi dropped down to one knee from the force she'd been thrown down with, and shook her head to dispel her confusion before looking up to Anthony with surprise.

"MC Sweetness..?" She asked almost skeptically, surprised by the... Oddly serious and less than friendly aura Anthony was generated. His back was to her, and he stood between her and King, fists clenched at his sides.

"Go fix Xander and Angel. There should be enough healing items left for the two of them." Anthony ordered sternly, beginning to step towards King. "I'll finish up here."

"Anthony, wait!" Lexi stood, reaching out towards her friend.

Anthony didn't speak, he just frowned over his shoulder at her, black dripping from his wet hair. Lexi nearly recoiled from just how cold his expression was, but she shook it off, deeming it unimportant in the grand scheme.

"Those ones and zeros a minute ago, dad doesn't have any abilities like that." Lexi narrowed her eyes, hands clenching into fists with the anxiety her conclusion caused her. "I think The Doctor is interfering somehow."

"Gotcha." Anthony looked back ahead. "I'll handle it."

Lexi watched him skeptically, before her thoughts were drawn back to her injured friend and boyfriend. And something told her Anthony didn't want to have to ask twice.

"You plan to take me on alone, boy?" King grinned viciously, tilting his head to the side. "With what, your little shield?"

"..." Anthony blinked calmly, and he slowly pulled back his shield bearing arm. "Yup."

King's eyes widened with surprise as Anthony whipped his arm forward, sending his shield spinning through the air right at the stunned tyrant's face.

"Gah!" He cried out, throwing his head back as Anthony's shield bounced off of his head, making him stumble back and grab at his face, which shrieked with pain. He felt blood fill his mouth, and judging from the horrible pain in his front teeth, assumed one or two of those were busted.

Anthony wasted no time breaking into a sprint to close the distance and jumping surprisingly high into the air, catching his shield back on his arm and pulling both knees to his chest, shotgunning both feet into King's sternum and sending him tumbling back onto his butt as Anthony flipped back off of him, landing a few feet back away from the tyrant.

King snarled, one hand over his mouth and blood dripping from between his fingers as his two chains reeled back on their own, like snakes preparing to strike.

Anthony jumped back as the chains snapped down towards him, the spades striking the concrete where he once was and chipping it, sending grey shards flinging into the air.

Anthony lifted his shield as he dropped back towards the ground, those spades curving up and flying right at him. The first struck his shield, pushing him back through the air as the second one sliced at his face. Anthony tilted his head to the side, black water flinging from his wet hair with the swift motion as the spade flew right by his cheek.

He reached out, gripping the chain tight in his hand as his red soul flared on his chest, being dragged right back with the chains towards King.

King snarled as he climbed to his feet, watching Anthony race back towards him on his own chain. He reached out, grabbing the metal links and whipping them up and down, sending ripples launching down the steel towards the hero that road them, who let go just as the waves reached him, momentum carrying him through the air towards King.

He landed on the ground, rolling and diving up at King, who cocked back one fist. Anthony lifted his shield, and the tyrant's fist smashed right into it, causing a stalemate between the two.

They stood there, glaring into one another's eyes as each of them tried to push past the other, but to no avail.

* * *

"Okay! Three! Two! One!"

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

Angel's scream was muffled in the ball of cloth that he had to bite down on while Lexi yanked the spear from his shoulder, and the moment it was free, he spat the ball out, snarling furiously over to Xander, who stood at the ready with a Dark Candy, already healed.

"Gimme the goddamn candy! NOW!"

"Okay, Christ!" Xander jumped from his companions harsh tone, swiftly holding the candy out to Angel, who viciously devoured it from his hands.

A second or two passed, and he slowly exhaled a sigh of relief as the shooting pains in his shoulder disappeared.

Angel gradually sat up, rolling his shoulder once or twice before glancing across the rooftop to where Anthony and King were battling. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he saw Anthony's swift and acrobatic movements, and he leaned forward some to watch closer. "What in the..?"

"I know, right?" Lexi crossed her arms as she watched. "Had no idea he had all _this_ in him."

"Angel, were you aware Anthony was this skilled?" Xander looked over to Angel, cocking a confused brow.

"... No." Angel slowly pushed himself to his feet, watching his best friend fight with a frown and a suspicious stare. "Because he's not."

"Then explain that!" Lexi exclaimed, looking to Angel and pointing to their albino team leader.

"I mean, he shouldn't be." Angel shook his head, not tearing his eyes away from the battle. "Anny has no combat experience, no training, and he's nowhere near this aggressive!"

"Well, he certainly went off after you got speared." Xander crossed his arms, arching a brow at Angel. "Abilities like this don't just _appear_ in a person."

"This isn't right." Angel took a step forward, concern appearing in his eyes. "This isn't like Anny at all! It's like he's-!"

Angel paused just as a drop of dark struck his face from the fountain above, and he reached up, wiping it out of his eye and looking to it interrogatively. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the black water, before his slowly widening.

"... Angel?" Lexi spoke with some worry, arching a brow at her boyfriend.

Angel didn't respond. He just slowly lifted his head, looking to the Dark Fountain that loomed above. His pupils shrunk with horror, a realization washing over him.

 _"That's funny. In a boo hoo funny kinda way."_

 _"Well everyone thinks it's me, but c'mon, there's no way right?"_

 _"Free, free! Can't you see?! You and me will be free! Heirs to the throne! Chaos's Crown could be your own!"_

"Angel?!" Xander repeated louder, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder.

Angel's eyes just narrowed painfully, dread and concern settling over his heart.

"... Anthony's the Vessel."

* * *

Anthony would have been shocked by his new abilities if he had taken the time to think about them at all. His motions felt natural, they all felt well within his limitations. Nothing about this felt unusual to him, it felt as if he'd already had these abilities and had just been choosing not to use them. Like all of this had been there already, and as if he'd known about it the whole time.

But this hadn't been here before, and he didn't know about it. Though none of these thoughts popped into his head now. Currently, he was laser focused on one thing and one thing only: Kicking King's ass.

And this aggression, too, was foreign. But Anthony didn't notice that, either. All of these things felt natural, they all felt like exactly what he would do.

So he slid to the side, freeing himself from his power struggle with King, who's fist slid over his shield, leaving the despot open for Anthony to dart forward, ramming his elbow right into King's nose and making his face scrunch up with pain as he stumbled back.

Anthony spun on his heel then, batting his shield upside King's head and forcing his much larger foe to once again stumble away, reaching up and gripping his throbbing skull as he did so.

King snarled furiously, throwing one hand out towards Anthony and sending the barrage of floating spades that appeared instantly behind him blasting out towards the hero.

Anthony narrowed his eyes, jumping back and throwing up his shield to block the brunt of the attack. Spades fired by, slicing across his shoulders and legs, leaving scratches in his armor and cuts that soon oozed red over whatever exposed skin he had on his limbs.

Anthony didn't seem to notice this pain as he landed, skidding back and letting his arms drop back to his sides after the barrage of spades came to an end. His cold ruby eyes locked onto King, who wiped blood from his chin with the back of his fist. The music faded out.

"You... You aren't like the other humans, are you?" King spoke in his deep and haunting voice, looking into Anthony's crimson eyes and upon his pale skin.

"What about it?" Anthony answered almost defensively, his jaw clenching as he read King's expression. It was easy, he'd seen the look a thousand times before.

It was the look people gave when they were questioning if he was really a human or not.

"I should have come to the conclusion earlier, what with how unique you are from your fellow man." King's lips curved up, and Anthony's eyes darted from his wicked smile to the mouth on his stomach, which was babbling nonsense excitedly. "Honestly, it's so obvious!"

"What's so obvious?" Anthony narrowed his eyes, unconsciously leaning forward some to listen closer to King's words.

"It's you." King grinned wickedly, black droplets running down from his crown and over his face. "It was you from the beginning."

King lifted his hand, pointing at Anthony from across their battleground.

" _You_ are The Vessel!"

* * *

" _What_?" Lexi asked with a deathly serious tone, her eyes going wide with a mixed bag of nasty emotions.

"Angel, are you certain..?" Xander asked with quiet concern, his hand remaining on Angel's shoulder while he looked to him.

"It's the only thing that makes sense." Angel shook his head slowly, not taking his eyes from his best friend.

"But, he shouldn't be experiencing anything! He hasn't gone in the fountain!" Lexi exclaimed desperately, and Angel looked over to her, his face pale with his disturbing revelation.

"Lexi, look around us." Angel held out his open palm, letting droplets of black rain land on his hand. "The Fountain is raining down on us."

Xander and Lexi both looked horrified as they heard Angel's words, and their eyes scanned over Anthony, watching the black rain stain his ivory skin and hair.

"There's somethin' in that geyser." Angel got their attention once more, eyes darting between them. "And every drop of this crap that hits Anny is connecting him with it a little more."

"We have to seal that fountain. _Now_." Xander spoke, hands clenching at his sides.

"Well we're gonna have to get through King first." Angel looked ahead, before his eyes widened as Lexi darted past him, racing towards the battle.

"Well we ain't gonna get that done standing around here!" She shouted back to her companions as she raced ahead, cocking back her spear.

"Lexi, wait-!"

* * *

Anthony figured he should have been affected by King's words. Surprised in a way. But, after hearing it out loud, he realized he'd already known he was The Vessel.

 _"Heads and tails, one inside the fountain! Swim, swim! The red ocean is locked inside the basement!"_

Jevil's babbling had been utter nonsense to everyone else, but every word had reached Anthony in a way he couldn't describe. And now, so close to the source of his darkness, specks of his blackened core painting his flesh, it all made sense.

Anthony was the Vessel. He was heads, and whatever lurked in the murky depths of that geyser was tails. He felt this truth, deep in his soul. In every droplet that struck his skin, he was becoming more and more whole.

"So what?"

But that didn't matter.

"'So what?'" King repeated, offended as he furrowed his brows. "Can't you feel it, boy? This is your purpose, this is your destiny!"

"My friends are my purpose." Anthony's eyes narrowed, and he lifted his shield, beating his fist primally against it. "Protecting them is my purpose!"

"So it doesn't matter if I'm The Vessel, The Hero, or the albino freak!" Anthony took a bold step forward, DETERMINATION flaring in the red soul on his chest. "I am their shield and I will keep them safe!"

"..." King squinted, his lips curving up ever so slightly as he watched over Anthony's shoulder. "Is that so?"

"Well we ain't gonna get that done standing around here!"

"Lexi, wait-!"

Anthony threw up his shield as King yanked back one of his two chained spades, twisting his body to put full force into this throw.

But, to Anthony's shock, it shot right by him, flinging by his shoulder right towards a stunned Lexi at a terrifying and previously unseen speed.

"Damn it!" Anthony spun on his heel, reaching out and gripping the chain, which quickly ripped open the palms of his hands, splattering his blood across the ground and sending unheard pain screaming up his arms. He planted his feet, dragging across the concrete as he attempted to slow the spade's rapid approach.

His knee jerk reaction proved effective when the chain slowed, giving Lexi enough time to dive to the side, tumbling to the ground and letting the spade strike the ground with lethal precision.

Just as Anthony breathed a sigh of relief, a new wave of pain shot right through his palms. Spikes suddenly jutted from the chain of the spade, stabbing holes clean through Anthony's hands and trapping him long enough for the spiked metal whip to rapidly fling back towards him.

Anthony screamed with agony as the chain wrapped around his body, digging its spikes into his flesh and restraining his arms to his sides. The weight of the metal forced him to drop to his knees, his eyes wide as he howled with agony.

"ANNY!" Angel shouted, horrified eyes watching his best friend writhe, before an enraged fire ignited in them, and he broke into a sprint, pulling his spear back over his shoulder.

"Sit tight." King grinned, planting one foot on Anthony's back and kicking him onto his stomach. This made the boy scream louder, spikes digging into his chest and abdomen, having shattered right through his chest plate.

King's stomach mouth chomped down, severing the chain connecting King to Anthony and leaving the Vessel restrained on the soaked black concrete, writhing in agony.

Angel roared furiously, whipping his spear at King while he sprinted across the plateau. The tyrant knocked the spear aside with his forearm, but Angel was right behind it. He dove up into the air, cocked back a fist, and rammed his knuckles hatefully into King's cheek.

The despot's head was forced to to the side, but even as blood ran down his chin from the punch, he smiled at Angel. In the next instant, King smashed his knee into the spearman's abdomen, making his eyes widen as he doubled over. Next, King yanked both of his giant hands above his head, bringing them together and slamming them down on Angel's back.

Angel coughed and hacked as the force threw him down to his hands and knees before King, who cocked back one leg, smashing a kick into him and throwing him back across the rooftop. Angel slammed into the ground, rolling and skidding to a stop, where he lay face down and unresponsive.

King winced, throwing up one arm to guard his face from the ice blades that shattered against his arm, leaving slices in his skin. With his free hand he pulled back his remaining spade whip, before throwing it out towards Lexi.

Lexi jumped to the side of the blade, gripping her scythe with both hands as she ran forward, low to the ground. She jumped as she reached her father and slashed down at him, only for him to step back out of the way.

Lexi snarled, landing on her feet and spinning all the way around, slashing at King once more. He leaned back, letting Lexi's scythe swing right by before throwing his head forward, smashing his forehead into hers.

Lexi recoiled, blood trickling down from her forehead and her brain pounding with agony. She clenched her eyes shut tight and grabbed at her skull in attempt to stop the tremors running through her mind, giving King the opportunity to lift one foot, planting it in her abdomen and launching her across the rooftop with a kick.

Lexi flung through the air, eventually landing and skidding until her back slammed into the two foot concrete wall at the edge of the rooftop. Her head fell forward, hair falling over her face as her body went limp.

King yanked his spade back to himself by its chain, turning his head and letting his soulless eyes land on Xander, who had both hands outstretched, flames rapidly swirling in his grasp as he once more prepared a massive wave of fire.

Just as the blast of heat fired, King whipped his spade at Xander, sending it launching right through the rapidly approaching wave of fire. Xander's eyes snapped open wide when the spade shot through his flames, slashing across his chest with enough force to throw him back, where he landed flat, a bleeding gash carved up his abdomen as his flames disappeared to embers.

King yanked his chain back to himself, snatching it from it from the air as he looked over the crumpled bodies surrounding him.

"This is it?" King questioned harshly, looking from the scythe to the spear to the flame. "These are the four legendary heroes that have the fate of the world on their shoulders?"

"One of you is strong, and the rest of you are liabilities!" King threw his hands into the air. "This is just _sad_!"

"Eat... Every inch'a my dick..." Angel snarled as he slowly got his hands under himself. He grunted, struggling to push himself back to his feet.

"N-no, Angel..." Anthony pleaded weakly, black streams running down his face as he lifted his head to watch his friend helplessly. "Please, stay down..."

"You have got a lot of nerve, boy." King grinned wickedly as he walked towards Angel. "I'll give you that."

"Yeah, that's why I made out with your daughter earlier..." Angel returned King's grin in a weak and exhausted form as he got to one knee, black water dripping from the soaked strands of hair that fell over his face.

"S-stop..!" Anthony begged through heavy breaths, even though every one hurt him.

". . ." King's grin became a frown in an instant with Angel's words, his jaw clenching with aggravation.

"And I'm gonna..." Angel grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled, but caught his footing, raising his fists. "Do it again, after I break your fuckin' jaw."

"A lot of nerve indeed." King glowered down at Angel as he loomed over him, cracking his knuckles.

"Leave him alone!" Anthony shouted, before agony appeared in his expression, and he hacked up a glob of red onto the concrete before him. Streams of red dribbled down his chin, and he gasped for breath, eyes clenching shut tight.

Angel snarled, blood and rain alike running down his face as he yanked back one fist, throwing it forward and slamming his knuckles into King's cheek, once more sending the tyrant's head tilting to the side.

And once more King slowly pushed his head back into place, glaring at Angel. He reached out, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up into the air, right off his feet as if he was weightless.

"Stop it..!" Anthony demanded, tears filling his eyes as he flailed pathetically, helplessly. "It's me you want, not him..!"

"So what, you're gonna kill me..?!" Angel growled, digging his finger nails into King's arm until he broke skin and blood overflowed. "You ain't got the nuts..!"

"Bold last words, you brat." King spat back just as venomously, grabbing where chain met spade on his weapon and pulling it back to stab Angel with.

"N-no... Stop..." Anthony slowly shook his head. Tears, blood, and this filthy rain all streamed down his face.

*Kill.

"Stop..!" Anthony's teeth began to grind, desperation and hopelessness starting to transition into fury in his eyes.

*Kill!

His feet kicked, his fingers clawed at his palms. Underneath him, his shadow began to writhe. It took on long, wormish shapes, squirming disgustingly over the black drenched concrete. Anthony thrashed viciously, not feeling the stabbing agony of the spikes digging further into his flesh with his every motion.

"I SAID..!"

King paused, he and Angel's eyes darting with shock over to Anthony as they felt the air suddenly pressurize. To King's pleasure and to Angel's horror, they watched as the puddles of black water began to slide across the stone floor, being sucked into Anthony, slipping into the chains that held him and disappearing into the many holes punched in his flesh.

 ***KILL!**

"STOP!" Anthony shouted at the top of his lungs, just before a brilliant red flared from his body, a gust of wind blasting out from around him.

The light was blinding, making King wince and stumble back, still restraining Angel, who had thrown up an arm to guard his eyes from the violent flash. Shards of shattered metal blasted out from the ruby flare with the billowing gusts.

Lexi slowly lifted her head, dazed eyes spotting the swirling red energy that engulfed Anthony between the strands of black hair that fell over her face. Her jaw clenched weakly, eyes narrowing with anticipation.

Xander managed to prop himself up on one elbow, cold sweat making its way down his face as he gripped the bleeding tear across his upper body. He narrowed his eyes with worry at the DETERMINED light radiating from his friend.

As the light faded enough to be seen through once again, Anthony could be seen, his restraints laying a cracked and melted mess at his feet. He stood at the epicenter of a swirling red vortex, screaming bloody murder and digging his fingers into his skull. He held his head tightly, like he was afraid it would split open from the massive influx of foreign thoughts.

*RIP.

*TEAR.

*CRUSH.

*SMASH.

*KILL.

*SLAUGHTER.

*DESTROY.

Anthony's finger nails ripped into the flesh of his head, sending red streams into his tainted white hair, adding ruby to the ivory and the obsidian streaks. His armor had fallen to a broken pile at his feet, revealing the multiple puncture wounds throughout his upper body, which was now bare, awash in streams of blood, sweat, and chaos rain.

He flailed, desperately trying to push away the malicious thoughts in his head. But there was no end to them. They screamed and screeched, pounded on the wall of his skull and demanded that they be free. His mouth hung open in his screaming, saliva running down his chin and tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyes were open wide, bloodshot as they stared into the pouring black rain. With each and every drop that struck his flesh, those voice got louder.

At Anthony's feet, his shadow writhed. It whipped out in different directions, taking the shapes of worms with gnashing teeth. They began to lift from the earth, maintaining their 2D, paper thin shape. They struggled however, looking to be trying to take their full form.

"STOP IT! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!" Anthony doubled over as he shouted. He clenched his eyes shut tight, and everyone's eyes darted to the amassing orb of shadows in front of him.

King's eyes widened in sudden agony, and Angel's emerald orbs did the same as he suddenly felt himself dropping back onto the ground.

"AAGH!" King screamed with agony, dropping to one knee and grabbing his forearm, which now ended in a stump. In the air, a shadow worm writhed, chewing and swallowing the tyrant's hand after it had lashed out from that ball of shadow before Anthony at an inconceivable speed. Blood spilled from between its teeth, and it relished in this fact, a disgusting and long tongue slipping from between its sharp teeth to lick away the blood that had spilled over.

Angel quickly crawled back away from the filthy creature, before his eyes darted to his best friend. His heart ached with empathy as he watched Anthony scream and writhe, flail in his agony and claw at his skull.

"Anny, don't worry!" Angel climbed to his feet quickly, ignoring the ache of his body and beginning to run towards Anthony. "I'm coming!"

"N-no!" Anthony cried out, lowering his head and looking up to Angel with one shining red left eye. "Don't get any closer!"

Angel slid to a stop ten feet from Anthony, furrowing his brows with confusion and worry. "Anny, it's okay! It's just me!"

"STAY BACK!" Anthony screamed, stumbling back and shaking his head rapidly. "I-I don't wanna hurt you!"

"Anny..." Angel's shoulder relaxed, and he took a step towards his best friend. "You're my best friend. You'd never hurt me."

"No!" Anthony sniveled, lifting his head to look to Angel as tears streamed down his face. "I-I'm dangerous! I'm the Vessel, I'm Chaos Incarnate!"

"No you aren't." Angel spoke calmly as he continued to walk towards him, not a speck of hesitation in his eyes. "I know you, Anthony. You're gentle and caring. You couldn't hurt a fly."

"You're a big softy and..." Angel smiled sweetly as he stood before Anthony, only a few feet between the two now. "You're my hero."

"I-I... I am..?" Anthony's voice calmed some, and the shadows around the two began to slow, starting to lower back towards the ground.

"Of course you are. If it wasn't for you I... I wouldn't have ever had anybody." Angel smiled sadly, KINDNESS shining in his green eyes. "I wouldn't have any reason to work harder to be a better person every day."

"Everything I have, all of my accomplishments, all the friends we have now... It's all because of you." Angel reached out, putting his hands on his best friend's shoulders and looking him in the eye. "Because you inspire me. You inspire all of us. It's you, Anthony. Your kindness, your care, all the effort you put in to help anyone in need."

Angel pulled Anthony forward, and the red aura around the two dissipated, their shadows returning to normal under their feet as he embraced his best friend, hugging him tight.

"You're not a monster, Anthony... You are _not_ a bad person."

The pain disappeared from Anthony's expression, and he sniffled, before wrapping his arms around Angel and burying his face in his shoulder, where he sobbed hysterically.

"That's it..." Angel spoke softly, rubbing Anthony's back as he cried. "Let it all out, it's okay..."

Anthony felt all of the twisted emotions that had been haunting him disappear, replaced by a feeling of acceptance and safety. He'd felt just a moment ago that his grip on reality was slipping, that he was losing himself a tidal wave of disgusting thoughts and desires, an insatiable thirst for blood was consuming him.

But here, in the arms of his guardian Angel, he felt those disturbing desires melt away. Sucked back into whatever drain they'd overflown from.

Angel smiled with great relief as Anthony relaxed. Nothing else mattered then. He had Anthony, and he was safe. There was no King, there was no Fountain, there was no Chaos.

THUNK THUNK THUNK.

Back to reality.

Angel's eyes went wide, and he stiffened with pain. Slowly he looked over his shoulder, finding three magic spades lodged in his back, blood streaming over them and down his shirt.

"Ah... Shit..!" Angel managed to grunt as he felt the strength leave his legs, making him drop down to one knee in front of Anthony, who's eyes widened and darted down to him.

"A-Angel?!"

THUNK.

Anthony's eyes went wide, his body jolting and his jaw dropping in a stunning kind of agony.

"A-... Agh..?" Anthony's eyes lowered to the chained spade that stabbed clean through his abdomen with it's pointed top, the peak of which went all the way through, jutting out of his back. The heat of of the pain was quickly being replaced by the cold relief of going into shock, the light dimming in Anthony's eyes.

King yanked back on the chain, pulling Anthony away from Angel and through the air. He reached out as his spade whip disappeared back into his stomach, catching Anthony by the collar of his shirt.

Anthony was unresponsive, limp in King's grasp as blood splattered in puddles under him, the spade being ripped from his flesh and returning into King's gut mouth. King held Anthony low to the ground, and his limp legs and arms dragged across the floor as he began to walk with slow, lumbering steps towards the Fountain across the rooftop.

"N-no... Stop..!" Angel forced himself onto shaky feet, stumbling weakly towards King, even as his face went pale and pain screamed through his body. "Y-you... Can't..!"

"I can and I must." King spoke coldly, frowning with hate as he stared through the lone hero before him. "Chaos Incarnate must return, and your friend must be sacrificed!"

"I won't let you..!" Angel stumbled towards his foe, coughing a glob of blood to the floor and placing one hand over his abdomen, clenching the other one at his side. "You can't..! Have him..!"

Angel's body jerked to and fro as more spades lodged themselves in his flesh. His shoulders, his arms, his legs. But his knees refused to buckle, his teeth never stopped gritting, and his fist never unclenched.

He stumbled a few steps closer, but just as he reached King, his legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees in front of the tyrant, gasping for breath and grabbing desperately onto his leg.

"I just... Got him back damn it..." Tears of indignation streamed down Angel's face as he clung to King pathetically. "I won't... Let you take him away..."

King didn't speak. He just continued walking, dragging Angel on his belly with him.

"Stop it! Please..!" Angel begged, dragging behind King and watching the Fountain approach. "Not him! Anyone but him!"

King came to a stop before the inky black geyser, staring blankly into its depths as he held The Vessel with his only remaining hand.

"Take me!" Angel pleaded desperately, turning his head down as his tears struck the ground. "Just please, God, not him! Take me instead!"

King pulled Anthony back, and the shield slipped off of his limp arm, clattering to the ground.

"He's all I've got! Please!" Tears streamed down Angel's grief stricken face as he shouted and sobbed his desperate pleas on deaf ears. "I'll do anything! Just don't take him away!"

And in one effortless motion, King tossed Anthony's motionless body into the vantablack geyser.

Angel's eyes went wide. His blood froze in his veins, his breath caught in his lungs, and his heart stopped in his chest. For a second that felt like an eternity, all was silent.

And then, a shock wave of power exploded out from the Fountain, slamming into King and Angel.

King skidded back on his feet, throwing his arms up in an X to guard against the vicious winds. Gradually he came to a stop, and he grinned wickedly up at the geyser, which was now a beam of black energy firing straight up into the sky like some kind of monument to doom itself.

"YES! I'VE DONE IT!" King laughed wickedly and hysterically, throwing his arms out to his sides as he gazed upon the end of days. "I HAVE FULFILLED THE DOCTOR'S WISH!"

"COME, CHAOS INCARNATE! RETURN TO US, AND LAY WASTE TO THE LIGHTNERS' PATHETIC WORLD!"

Angel let go of King's ankle, being sent sliding on his side across the ground to the middle of the rooftop before the winds died down and he came to a stop.

There he laid, beaten and broken, with a clear view of the end of the world. His tears stopped flowing. Any emotion at all seemed to be crushed under the gravity of this moment. Of the sight before him.

This is how the world ends. Not sad, not desperate to survive. Just... Numb. Watching death race closer with cold eyes and an empty heart.

And in Angel's mind, only one thought could survive.

 _... We failed._

* * *

Concrete.

Anthony was laying on a concrete floor. Staring up at wooden planks, though they were hard to make out in the basement's dim light.

Footsteps echoed, and a very familiar face came into view, standing over Anthony with a hand in his pocket.

He had ivory skin and hair, and dull, hopeless red eyes. One of his hands was halfway in his jeans pocket, and his other hung limp. In its grasp was one blood and dust soaked chunk of metal that Anthony recognized just as clearly as he recognized this other self.

"... Hey." Anarchy spoke with stunning calm, blinking those lifeless eyes down at his Heads.

"..." Anthony slowly propped himself up on his hands, staring up at his Tails. "... Hey."

Anarchy didn't speak for a moment. He walked leisurely to be across from Anthony, where he calmly took a seat. He crossed his legs, laid his crowbar across his lap, and gripped his knees while he slouched forward. "Do you remember me?"

"I... Didn't for awhile, but..." Anthony's eyes glossed over to the shield that lay at his side as he crossed his legs, before he looked back to his other half. "... Yes, I remember you."

"Good." Anarchy's lips curled up in a smile that was entirely devoid of joy, those dull eyes not leaving the bright eyes of his counterpart.

 **"Because you n' me need to talk."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	25. Chapter 25: The Bastard Son (Part 2)

**Sorry for taking so long to update. I forgot to mention last update that the upcoming week would be incredibly busy for me. I didn't have a lot of time to type, and this chapter is nearly 22,000 words. That is, without a doubt, the longest chapter I've ever written. So I hope that makes up for the wait.**

 **That said, I know this story is rated T. But we can all agree there have been a few chapters that deserve a rating a bit higher than that. This chapter is most certainly _Rated M_. There are some concepts and scenes in this chapter that some readers may find very disturbing and unpleasant. Viewer discretion is very much advised. Thank you, and please enjoy the rest of your day. **

**Thanks go to Alrarora, Wingah, Gray Kanzakai, Loyal Fan, Zack Frost, Linki, 10burgers, Monkey D. Chimera, NBoss01, Genowar, Jack54311, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, and WhoWritesThisCrap.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.**

* * *

There was an eerie silence about the basement. That's always how it was. Dark and quiet and empty. At least, until the beatings came. Then it was loud and colorful and a whirlwind of emotions that was completely indescribable.

This was another thing Anthony and Anarchy had in common. They both remembered this place vividly.

And they both hated it here.

Yet here they were, trapped again. Faced with another life altering decision. Die here, in their personal hell, or fight their way up the staircase.

"... So." Anthony sat up straight, furrowing his brows with curiosity. "I don't think you've ever wanted to speak with _anyone_ before, Anarchy. Let alone me. What's this about?"

"... Do you think I hate you?" Anarchy slouched and squinted his eyes, tilting his head to the side.

"I think you hate everyone." Anthony stated in a matter-of-fact tone. This made Anarchy's cracked lips curl up in an amused smile, a genuine chuckle escaping his throat.

"Well that's quite an honor to award every single person, don'tcha think?" Anarchy barred his fangs with that chaotic grin, raising one white brow at his counterpart.

"Your hatred is an honor?" Anthony narrowed his eyes skeptically.

"My acknowledgement is an honor." Anarchy corrected without hesitation. "Most people are forgettable, after all."

"To hate someone is just as special as to love someone." Anarchy leaned forward, resting one hand on the concrete floor between the two. Shadows slipped over his expression, darkening his features while the lights turned out in those dead eyes. "It's intense, all consuming, maddening..."

"Why," Anarchy leaned back, and the chaotic lights flicked back on in those red peepers. He held his arms up in a shrug, and one grimy, devilish grin pulled up his features. "I'd have to be a real nutcase to hate _everybody_!"

"You _are_ a real nutcase, Anarchy." Anthony spoke coldly, a frown tugging down his lips.

"That hasn't been proven by a licensed professional." Anarchy defended, pointing to Anthony and tilting his head to the side.

"Doesn't take a licensed professional to tell you the sky's blue." Anthony responded, his frown unmoved and his eyes unblinking.

"Y'know, for the good cop, you're comin' off as a real asshole right now, Anthony." Anarchy leaned back on his hands, raising his eyebrows with a judgmental stare towards his other half. "I'm startin' to think _you_ hate _me_."

"..." Anthony recoiled some, before he lowered his head, sighing quietly. "... No, Anarchy. I don't hate you. I'm... Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

"So I don't hate you, n' you don't hate me." Anarchy nodded, looking off thoughtfully before his eyes glossed back to Anthony. "I forget. Who _do_ we hate?"

". . ." Anthony's jaw clenched, and he slowly lifted his head to look his vicious other half in the eye.

"... Angel."

"Ding ding ding!" Anarchy exclaimed excitedly, throwing his hands up and rocking back as he sat.

Anthony sighed, leaning his head back and reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "How'd we end up like this, Anarchy?"

"It's a long story." Anarchy let his arms drop down, and he used them to lean back on. "And it don't really got a happy ending."

"... Well." Anthony glanced around the dark basement, his eyes narrowing hatefully at the staircase to his left. "If the past is any indicator, we'll be down here awhile."

"Hm." Anarchy's lips curled up in the same unsettling way that had become his trademark.

"Then lets take it from the top."

 **Chapter 25: The Bastard Son**

 **Part 2**

 _"What could possibly make you do this?!"_

* * *

"So, I wasn't really there until, what, fifteen, sixteen years in?" Anarchy's eyes darted to the side thoughtfully, before jumping back to Anthony. "Fill me in. How'd our little tragedy start?"

"Well, I was born." Anthony spoke simply, then going silent and just nodding.

"... Aaaand?" Anarchy leaned in and arched a brow at Anthony, who shrugged.

"And I was born looking wrong." Anthony explained without hesitation. "So everyone looked at me and treated me like I was wrong, just for existing."

"That's rough." Anarchy leaned back on his hands, not much care behind his words.

"It was, yeah." Anthony nodded in agreement, eyes drifting to the side. "It felt, really terrible. I didn't understand what I had done wrong, so I didn't have a way to apologize for how... _Disgusting_ I was to them."

"Weren't you angry that everyone was misjudging you?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side, confusion clear on his expression.

"Not at all, no." Anthony looked back to his other half, shaking his head. "I just... Felt bad for looking the way I do."

"After all, it... Must have been pretty upsetting," Anthony's eyes narrowed painfully at the floor, his head lowering. "If it made the other kids angry enough do the things that they did to me..."

"And what _did_ they do to you?"

"Beat me, humiliated me, said terrible things to me." Anthony's fingers gently traced along a dull and rigid scar across the back of his right hand as he spoke. A drop of water in the ocean of marks that coated his cursed skin, likely caused by some childish weapon. A sharp rock or a dull pocket knife. "Those things aren't what hurt, though. Aren't what stuck."

"I had quite the pain tolerance with all the beatings I received, and there was nothing that could be said to me that was worse than what I'd already thought about myself." Anthony shrugged passively, a hopeless frown on his face.

"If that didn't bother you, then what did?" Anarchy rested his chin in his palm lazily, tilting his head some as he spoke.

"..."

Reality shifted in the darkness at Anthony's right side, the air shimmering and shifting. That half of the basement was almost like a screen, displaying a rainy side walk.

A very young Anthony made his way through the rain, which bounced off of his umbrella. He usually carried one on sunny days to help protect his sensitive skin from the light's burning rays, but today it payed off differently, now keeping him dry from the sudden precipitation.

The boy's brow furrowed however when the distinct sound of sobbing fell over the pitter patter of rain on his parasol, however. He reached the entrance of an alleyway between two tall concrete buildings and tilted his body to peak inside.

There, seated against the wet grey wall, was a girl about his age. Her knees were hugged to her chest, and her soaking wet, long black hair was a mess, falling over her as she sobbed. She held her arms over her head, curled up in a pathetic and terrified ball.

She lifted her head some, however, when the rain stopped striking her. With confusion she looked up, and her ice blue eyes met with Anthony's ruby red ones.

"Are you okay?" Anthony asked with care, tilting his head to the side. He held his umbrella over her head, condemning himself to the rain for the sake of keeping another dry.

But, as kind and caring Anthony's tone and smile was, when this girl laid eyes on him, she was... Terrified. Her blue orbs widened, pupils shrinking. Her face went pale, and more tears overflowed before she screamed.

"G-get away from me! FREAK!"

Anthony's eyes went wide as she slammed both palms into him, shoving him over and sending him falling back into a puddle, his parasol smacking to the ground as the girl jumped to her feet, sprinting away and disappearing into the alleyways.

"..." Anthony just sat there, now wet and cold, the rain washing over him and matting his white hair to his forehead. One of his little hands felt across the pavement, grasping through filthy water until it found the handle of his umbrella.

And as he lifted the parasol over his head, and a shaky, sad smile forced its way up his face, shadows fell over his eyes. He reached up with his free hand, grasping desperately at the chest of his wet shirt in some attempt to soothe his aching heart.

And, though his parasol guarded him from the rain, another stream of water slipped down his cheek.

"... I could handle the insults. The harsh words, the grinning faces of the other kids." Anthony stared into the memory until it faded, hair falling over his eyes and blocking them from view. "But, when all the laughing went quiet, when the fists stopped coming, when they ran out of insults..."

"That... Look." Anthony's hands slowly clenched into fists over the knees of his jeans. "No matter how hard I tried, how much I just wanted to help, just wanted to be their friend... There was nothing I could do to take the fear out of their eyes."

"... They wouldn't even give me a chance..."

"Hm." Anarchy tilted his head, narrowing his eyes some. "And how'd you handle that?"

"After awhile?" Anthony looked back to Anarchy, and answered without hesitation.

"I wanted to die."

Anarchy's eyebrows raised with surprise at that. It was jarring, hearing something like that from Anthony of all people. After all, it had been Anthony's refusal to die that had given Anarchy life.

"It's probably unusual, a nine year old wishing for death." Anthony lowered his head, looking to the hands he held together in his lap. "But, I had been taught that me living was an offense. Just by existing, I was hurting people."

"Eventually I... Started to find my desire to live selfish." Anthony lifted his head, eyes meeting Anarchy's once more. "Nothing I did could make up for how disgusting I was. No amount of kindness would change the fact that... Looking the way I did made me a bad person."

"That's a pretty F'd up way for a kid to think." Anarchy commented casually, continuing to listen to Anthony's every word.

"Yeah well." Anthony shrugged, numb eyes glossing to the side. "Get treated like an abomination long enough, you start to believe it."

"And, remind me," Anarchy's lips curled upwards in that depraved smile of his. "How long until we started _acting_ like that abomination?"

"Be patient, Anarchy." Anthony's lips curled up almost playfully, despite just how tired his eyes looked. "We've still got a few more years until I started hearing you buzz in my ear."

"Mm." Anarchy frowned, leaning back on his hands. "So, you wanted to die. Did'ja give it a shot or what?"

"Well, one day, in the middle of being curled up in a ball while some kids kicked me, I decided that yes, I was going to kill myself." Anthony nodded calmly despite the wretched story he told.

The air to their right shifted once more, and a different alley was displayed. There, in a pathetic ball, little Anthony laid, letting out cries of pain and pleas that his aggressors stop kicking him.

"I didn't really care if they stopped or not." Anthony spoke without emotion as he watched the beating. "But it always made my attackers happy when I begged for mercy, and I bleed to please."

"Honestly, I hardly felt their kicks at all. I was busy thinking about how I should end my life." Anthony blinked those numb eyes, his childhood self's screams echoing in his ears while he spoke. "I thought about jumping from a high place or shooting myself in the head with a gun, but ultimately I decided I would just ask mom to do it."

"I was certain she hated me, so I thought asking her to kill me might be a way for me to make her happy." Anthony smiled sorrowfully over to Anarchy, holding his hands together in his lap. "And if dying would make mother happy, then surely it would be worth it."

"... But you never got the chance to ask." Anarchy was frowning now, a certain measure of some dark amalgam of emotions in his eyes at the mention of his mother.

"Nope." Anthony looked back to the screen, and his sad smile grew. "Because that's the day I made a friend."

"Go on, get!"

Little Anthony didn't dare lift his head, even as he heard the three boys cry out with pain. After hearing them scurry away, he waited a few more moments. He knew someone was still there, but when no harsh words or attacks came, the albino boy found the courage to lift his head and look at whomever loomed over him.

"Are you okay?"

Little Anthony's ruby eyes went wide as he looked into Angel's emerald orbs. Something so simple was absolutely stunning to him. An outstretched hand, a KIND gleam in those eyes. He was frozen, in awe. Basic human kindness was a beauty he had never perceived before. It made the breath catch in his throat, his heart trip over itself.

"... No one had ever looked at me that way." Anthony explained as they watched that memory, a deep longing clear in his eyes. "He wasn't afraid of me, he... He wanted to know if I was okay."

"He... Treated me like a person."

"Um... Hello? Anybody in there?" Angel smiled with some amusement as Anthony jolted from his thoughts, grinning sheepishly. He had learned how to smile, how to look convincing and welcoming. But he could not remember a time until now when his happy expression had felt genuine.

"O-oh! Uhm, s-sorry, yeah, I-I'm alright." Anthony assured, timidly taking Angel's hand. To his surprise, this physical contact was not an attack in disguise. Angel helped him to his feet, and then let go of him. There was no assault, no cruel intentions. Just someone being nice to him.

"The next few years were the best of my life." Anthony's eyes narrowed painfully as he watched the memory fade back to the darkness he and Anarchy were trapped inside of. "Angel was everything to me. He was my reason to live, to push through every beating and all of my torment. He was the one person who appreciated my kindness, who was never afraid of me..."

"... Everything I did, all the terrible _bullshit_ I pushed through..." Anthony lowered his head, reaching up and gripping the chest of his shirt with a trembling hand. "It was all for him."

"When I was hurt, I pushed through it to visit him." Anthony shook his head slowly. "No cut bled enough, no bruise ached enough to make seeing him not worth it."

"When mother broke my arm, and I spent two weeks laid up, I used every second I was away thinking of how to make it up to Angel." Anthony's lips curled in a bitter sweet smile. "I learned how to draw with my non-dominant hand, and I tried my hardest to draw him something that would make him happy."

"..." Anarchy's eyes narrowed almost painfully. He too felt Anthony's ache in their shared soul, though he tried his best to conceal it. "... What'd you draw?"

The right side of the room was changing once more, and both Anthony and Anarchy watched the memory that formed in the darkness.

"Angel!"

"H-huh?!" Angel jumped, looking over to the boy that sat on the swing next to him, who was laughing lightly at him.

"Sorry Angel, didn't mean to scare you." Anthony laughed, scratching the back of his head as his friend sighed, looking to be calming down. "You just didn't answer my question, is all."

"Oh! Heh, sorry Anthony, I kinda zoned out." Angel's emerald eyes glanced to the side as he grinned sheepishly, digging his feet into the wood chips below him to slow his swing to a stop. "Uh... What'ja ask again?"

"What super power would you wanna have?" Anthony tilted his head to the side with curiosity.

"Pff, that's an easy one." Angel smirked, looking up at the overcast sky. "Flight, hands down."

"Huh? Why flight?" Anthony arched one white eyebrow.

"So I can fly anywhere in the whole world, duh." Angel said like it was obvious, smirking over at Anthony. "If I could fly, I could get outta this crummy city."

"Anywhere in the whole world, huh..?" Anthony spoke quietly and thoughtfully, looking down at his feet.

"I might even take you with me, if ya ask nice." Angel winked an eye shut, grinning playfully.

"... Angel always dreamed of having wings. He wanted to fly away." Anthony's eyes narrowed painfully as he watched the memory. "At first I was afraid he wanted to fly away from me. But... Then he said he would take me with him."

"I can't leave this place, Angel." Anthony waved a hand dismissively, speaking like the idea was silly. "Who'd take care of my mom?"

"That stuff don't matter when you're flyin', Anny." Angel grinned up at the cloudy sky. "It's all yours up there."

"Haha! Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this." Anthony smiled gently. "Would you at least come visit me?"

"Well duh." Angel looked over to Anthony, closing his eyes and smiling wide.

"What best kinda friend would I be if I didn't?"

"..." Hair fell over Anthony's eyes, shadowing them as his lips fell in a frown. Anarchy wore a similar expression.

"I... I drew him with angel wings, soaring through the sky." Anthony finally spoke, lowering his head to avoid looking at the dark world around him. "And he was... He was carrying me. He had taken me with him."

"I spent so much time looking over the drawing. Night and day, a thousand and one sketches, all with the wrong hand." Eyes obscured by his ivory hair, Anthony's lips dared curve up, just a little. "And, when it came time to give it to Angel, I was sure he was going to hate it. He was going to tell me it was dumb or looked bad, he was going to point out every little thing I'd nit picked on the way there."

"... But, Angel, he..." Anthony swallowed the lump forming in his throat, struggling to get his words out. "He loved it. When he looked at it, his face absolutely lit up. It was... The happiest I've ever seen him."

Anarchy didn't speak, he just watched Anthony with his empty eyes. He listened to every word, even if he already knew how this story ended.

When another memory manifested, Anarchy looked towards it, but Anthony did not lift his head.

"Here, just a sec!" Excitedly, little Angel handed his albino best friend his drawing back. While Anthony was dazed and confused - unable to speak through the relief and the joy he was feeling - Angel threw open a closet door, disappearing inside of it.

"Uhm... Angel..?" Anthony skeptically walked up to the closet, before jumping as Angel raced back out of the storage, grinning excitedly and holding a photo frame in his hands.

"Here, look!" Angel took the picture hastily from Anthony, popping it right in the photo frame before holding it up to show his friend, one big ol' grin gracing his childish features.

Little Anthony was stunned. His beautiful red eyes were wide, and as his jaw dropped they began to fill with tears. This surprised Angel, made him lower the frame and take a worried step towards his friend.

"Anny? I'm sorry, I-I just thought-"

Angel's eyebrows rose with shock when Anthony cut him off, darting forward and hugging him tight with his one good arm. This made a smile appear on Angel's face, and he slowly returned Anthony's hug, even as his friend cried into his shoulder.

"Thank you..." Anthony managed to choke out between his sobs.

"Thank you so much..."

"..." Anthony took a deep breath as the memory faded, reaching up to wipe a single tear from his cheek. After doing so, he lifted his head to look Anarchy in the eye.

"That, right there?" Anthony pointed to the darkness where the memory had just been, a weak smile on his lips. "Was the happiest moment in my entire worthless life."

"... We wanted to fly away, too." The Anarchist concluded emotionlessly, those bitter eyes matching his bitter frown.

"... Yeah..." Anthony answered quietly and after a moment of hesitation, nodding his head. "But, we were afraid... Even with as horrible as our life was, we... We couldn't bring ourself to leave."

"So Angel flew away, and left us behind." Anarchy's jaw clenched some at this fact. Simple as it was, it defined the both of them. Planted the seed that grew into their hatred for their Angel.

"Didn't even visit like he'd promised." Anthony frowned with his bitter words, eyes narrowing and glossing to the side.

"Do you think he knew?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side. "How important he was? What our life was like without him?"

"Well, I tried my hardest to keep that part of my life away from him. I was sure he didn't know for awhile." Anthony glanced up to the filthy ceiling thoughtfully. "But, looking back..."

Another memory manifested from the inky black, and the two turned their identical heads to watch their past unravel before their eyes.

"So, you're... You're sure we'll see each other again..?" Anthony asked skeptically from the end of his driveway. His eyes were desperate, longing.

"I'm just moving across the city, Anny." Angel forced a sad smile, a poor attempt at comforting his best friend. "I'm sure we'll figure it out."

"But we didn't." Anarchy thought aloud, unblinking eyes watching the very moment Angel flew away.

"... Here, I've, got something for you." Angel spoke hesitantly, pulling the backpack from his back and unzipping it.

"Huh?" Anthony said with some surprise, before his eyebrows raised at the framed drawing Angel retrieved from his pack. He recognized it of course, he was the one who'd drawn it.

"Here." Angel handed the frame to Anthony, who took it skeptically, furrowing his brows at Angel.

"You... Don't want it?" Anthony asked, a tinge of sorrow in his voice.

"H-huh? No, of course I want it!" Angel quickly dismissed, before the panic disappeared from his expression, replaced by genuine care. "It's, just..."

"I think you need it more than I do."

"..." Anarchy's jaw tightened as this memory faded, his hands clenching against the knees of his jeans.

"Now how would he have known how badly we really needed the image of us flying away if he didn't know what he was leaving us with?" Anthony narrowed his eyes over at Anarchy. "If he didn't know just how badly we really needed him?"

"Is that why we hate him? Because he knew he was leaving us to die, and he still flew away?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side with his question, those eyes glowing their piercing red into the black.

"You and me both know it isn't the _only_ reason." Anthony's cold answer made Anarchy's lips curl into that less than comforting smile of his.

"So, what happened after he left?" The Anarchist cocked a brow. "Did'ja go back to wanting to die?"

"No, not this time." Anthony shook his head with his answer. "At first, it was because I was desperately clinging to the hope that I would see Angel again."

"I mean, I understood it would be difficult. We were kids, and the city was big and dangerous. We didn't have phones or too good of an internet back then, but..." Anthony looked to the hard, cold floor beneath them. "Surely Angel would find a way, wouldn't he? I would go to the ends of the Earth for _him_ , after all. Surely he felt the same..?"

"But he didn't." Anarchy's expression reflected his fury, his indignation. "And we didn't know where he had moved to, so we couldn't go looking for him."

"... No, he didn't." Anthony's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. "Because all of that best friend shit was a lie. He didn't really care about us, not like we cared about him."

"It was spite, wasn't it?" Anarchy smirked gently, a sick kind of joy flickering in his eyes. "We survived on spite."

"... Yeah." Anthony frowned hatefully at the ground, slowly nodding his head. "I stopped viewing myself as the problem once it started to click in my head that Angel had abandoned me."

"It became clear as I was cast deeper into my personal hell that it was the world that was twisted, not me." That same darkness that lurked in Anarchy's eyes swam in his own when he lifted his head to look at his other half. "And that's when _you_ started calling out to me, Anarchy."

"As eager as I am to get to that part of the story," Anarchy frowned as he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "I can't help but feel that we haven't addressed a certain child abusing, crowbar swinging bitch of an elephant in the room."

"... Right. Sorry." Anthony looked to the side to avoid Anarchy's gaze. "I guess mom is just the hardest part of the story to tell."

"Of course it is." Anarchy shrugged with his agreement. "She was our mother, we loved her."

Then, he hesitated.

"We... Wanted her to love us, too."

"... But she didn't." Anthony lowered his head, eyes narrowing painfully. "Because we looked like dad. And she _hated_ dad."

"I don't know why she hated him, or how we came to be." Anthony lifted his head, the two halves both wearing the same hopeless expression. "I don't know if we were a drunken mistake or, if dad forced himself on her, or..."

Anthony shook his head, swallowing the disgust he felt towards whatever sick intentions had went into his and - by proxy - Anarchy's conception.

"Who knows." Anarchy finished his thought. "Mom had probably been unhinged her whole life. Maybe she really did love dad, and him hittin' and quittin' her sent her over the edge."

"Well whatever he did to her, it turned her into a psychotic, bitter drunk that couldn't take care of herself." Anthony leaned back on his hands as he spoke. "By the time I was seven years old, I was cooking dinner for her and we were living off welfare."

"A good portion of that welfare went into drugs and drinks." Anarchy crossed his arms, letting his head fall to his shoulder as he frowned. "She'd down a handful'a pills with a mouthful'a booze, then she'd kick the fuckin' shit out of us."

"She was certainly a pissed off drunk..." Anthony muttered, glancing to the side before looking back to Anarchy. "But no matter how many cuts or bruises we had, we'd always clean up whatever broken glass and vomit she left in her wake."

"The crowbar was only for special occasions." Anarchy's eyes drifted down to the twisted steel in his lap, and he gently ran his fingers along its grimy surface while he spoke. "If we screwed something up or said something we shouldn't have."

"She had other things she used to hurt us. A bottle, a fork, a knife..." Anthony partially rolled up one of his sleeves, looking over the several scars on his forearm alone. "But nothing made us scream like the crowbar."

"Yeah, because nothin' made us spit up blood like the crowbar." Anarchy looked up with one hate filled frown, his fingers wrapping tightly around the object of their shared torment. "And that wasn't even the worst part of gettin' beat with it."

After Anarchy's words, images and memories began to flicker all around the basement. A thousand different instances, a thousand different beatings. Images of Anthony at differing ages, cowering and alone in the darkness.

Some curled up near the door at the top of the staircase, like a dog begging to be let inside. To be granted escape from the cold, dark night. Others laid in bloody messes, curled in painful balls and whimpering pathetically.

"... She would drag us down here, grab the crowbar, and beat us within an inch of our life." Anthony's eyes glossed over all the memories, each one still fresh in his mind. "Then she would leave us down here, without food or water."

"For hours. Days. One time we were in the dark for over a week." Anarchy rested his chin in his hand. His lips curled upwards, displaying the joy he derived from his past cruelty. "But she probably ended up regretting that last one, huh?"

"... When we were younger, we tried our best to keep our mother's sorry state from Angel." Anthony ignored Anarchy's twisted foreshadowing. "We knew we'd be separated from her, and then who would take care of her?"

"Even after everything she put us through, we still wanted to protect her." Anarchy smiled bitterly, eyes drifting to the wood and pipes of the ceiling. "What a moron we were."

"But, that began to change as the years passed." Anthony's hands gripped the knees of his jeans tightly, a deep frown settling into his face. "As we grew, mother started to notice we were bigger than her."

"She was really such a little thing, wasn't she?" Anarchy smiled with some sick nostalgia. "All the years of drugs and alcohol made her scrawny, short, frail, sickly..."

"Meanwhile all of our beatings seemed to have made us stronger." Anthony's eyes narrowed as he spoke, watching his powerful hands curl into fists. "Bones came back denser, skin regrew tougher. Not to mention the onset of puberty and all the years of keeping the house standing with nonstop chores."

"Soon enough, we were a foot taller than her with triceps and biceps big enough to snap her pencil neck between." Anarchy bared his fangs, his smile shifting to a twisted grin. "And what was once a unique hatred started to shift into that same fear that everyone else had in their eyes."

"This insecurity made her beat us harder. Break out the crowbar more often." Anthony's frown was a stark contrast to Anarchy's grin. "She couldn't drag us to the basement anymore, but we were a good, obedient child. She would scream at us to follow her down here, and we would silently walk to our beating."

"We stopped screaming with pain sometime in those years. Our tears dried up." Anarchy explained with more of that sour nostalgia. "All that kindness and empathy we once had was becoming an endless well of fury, hatred. Empathy turned to apathy, optimism to nihilism."

"We started to realize that we had the opportunity to be just as nasty to the world as it had been to us." Anthony clasped his hands together, those empty eyes staring down at where they laid in his lap. "There was a voice in Anthony's head. A laughter that sometimes tried to escape his quiet throat."

"We were getting so itchy, weren't we?" Anarchy's grin was from ear to ear, his eyes wide with manic joy while he rocked back and forth excitedly. "All concepts of order, all the rules we'd set ourselves to were seeming more and more frivolous with each passing second."

"Dreams that were once hopeful for kindness, a gift, a reprieve from the dark... Were poisoned." Anthony looked up, narrowing his eyes at Anarchy and tilting his head to the side. "Those happy notions were silly. They were too structured, too controlled."

"We spent our whole life up 'til then thinking of others. Being respectful and kind..!" Anarchy reached up, shaking his head as he grabbed handfuls of his ivory locks. "This disgusting order we had signed ourself away to had betrayed us! Unrewarded and left for dead!"

"Anthony fought Anarchy with all his might." Anthony's eyes were distant, staring a thousand yards through his other half. "'I don't want that!' He cried out to quell his cravings. 'Things will get better, I just have to keep trying!'"

"But! They! DIDN'T!" Anarchy smashed his fists against the concrete, frothing like a rabid Old Yeller. His memories struck his mania, sent him spiraling into excitable fits and outbursts.

"But it wasn't the hateful feelings, the fury that had built up inside. It was not Anarchy's whispers or Anthony's craving for blood that convinced him to give up on order and dedicate himself to chaos." Anthony blinked those eyes, and they refocused, narrowing as the darkness to their right shifted with memories once more.

"It was his father's wisdom."

In the memory, a sixteen year old Anthony made his way down an unmanaged dirt path. He reached the gate of a familiar chain link fence, but to his surprise, he found the latch had already been lifted, and the gate was already ajar.

Anthony lifted his head, looking out from under his umbrella to the playground ahead of him. His crimson eyes only had to scan for a few seconds, before he spotted someone seated in a bench ahead of him, facing out towards the playground with their back to him.

Anthony considered turning and leaving. He returned to the playground as his one safe place, the one place he could be alone and away from the fearful glares of humanity.

But... Something about this stranger caught his eye.

It was a regular day, sunlight peaking through some of the smog and streaking down onto the playground.

So why on Earth did this stranger also hold an umbrella over his head?

Anthony had his to protect his sensitive skin from the light that burned and rejected him. But no one else would suffer from this issue, he alone was shunned by the sun. At least, as far as he'd seen.

This curiosity brought Anthony into the playground, skeptical steps dragging him closer to this stranger, until he finally peaked around the man's parasol, daring to reveal himself just to get a look at his face.

"Hello." The man in the bench lifted one ivory hand, lips curling up in a polite smile.

Anthony's ruby eyes were wide as they met with the ruby eyes of his Father. He was amazed, stunned, and baffled. He'd never seen someone else like him in his entire life, never seen anything like himself. That was a bitter, soul crushing loneliness. It often made him feel like he was the last man on earth.

"... Y-you're... You're like me..." Anthony finally managed to speak, those wide eyes unblinking. The man was older, having at least twenty five years on Anthony. And though his face was shaped with a few wrinkles, and from his chin to his upper lip he wore a well trimmed, white goatee, their was a stunning resemblance in his facial structure to Anthony's.

"And you're like me." He stated, clearly amused by Anthony's shock. There was no fear in his red eyes, no hatred. He welcomed Anthony, and seemed to enjoy his presence. This was foreign to Anthony, something he hadn't experienced in roughly five years.

"T-this... This is amazing!" Anthony exclaimed, stepping closer as his face lit up. "I've never met anybody like me before!"

"Well you knew you weren't the only one with albinism, right?" Father scoffed with some amusement, smiling at Anthony's bewilderment.

"W-well, yeah, of course!" Anthony blushed with embarrassment. "I-I just never thought I would meet one! A-at least, not one as full blooded as me!"

"It is pretty rare, isn't it?" Father scooted to the side, giving Anthony space to sit next to him. "I can't say I've met someone quite like me, either."

"I-I've got so many questions!" Anthony took a seat next to his Father, fidgeting excitedly.

"Ask away." He waved a hand casually, glancing over to Anthony.

"Uhm..." Anthony reached into the swirling vortex of curiosity's in his mind and pulled one free.

"Do you... Need reading glasses?" Anthony glanced awkwardly up to his Father. "Because I think I do, but I don't really have any way of getting a pair right now..?"

Father snerked at that question, looking over to Anthony. "All the things you could ask, and you question my vision?"

"W-well it was an easy question!" Anthony defended, cheeks lighting up with embarrassment. "I-I didn't wanna make you uncomfortable with something too intense..."

"C'mon, gimme something interesting!" Father egged with feigned playfulness. "I'm sure you've got a few good ones."

"... Well..." Anthony hesitated, lowering his head before he spoke. "Are... People afraid of you..?"

"..." Father paused, turning his head to look out at the playground. He rested his arms along the back of the bench. "Terrified."

"... Yeah, me too..." Anthony looked away, frowning with empathy. "Have they... Ever hurt you for looking the way you do..?"

"My entire life, until I was about your age." Father answered without hesitation, not looking to Anthony. His expression had turned cold, unfeeling.

"H-huh?" Anthony lifted his head, looking over to his fellow albino with surprise. "What changed? Why'd they stop?"

"It was easy." Father's lips curled upwards then, wicked grin twisting his expression as he turned his head to face Anthony once more. Murderous joy flickered in those blood red eyes.

 **"I just started hurting them back."**

Anthony recoiled, his ruby orbs going wide with shock. He didn't speak, but he felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead as he stared into The Killer's eyes. His Father's eyes.

"You feel it, don't you boy?" Father narrowed his cold eyes. "You want to make them hurt, hurt like you do."

"... I-I..." Anthony placed his hands over his chest, avoiding Father's gaze.

"It's okay, you know." Father smiled devilishly. "The rules and the laws of this world, they weren't made for people like you and I. Order doesn't apply to the ones that are seen as animals."

"Just look at yourself, boy!" Father put one proud hand on Anthony's shoulder. "So young, and you're already becoming a mountain of a man!"

"Who could really hurt you anymore?" Father leaned in close, red murder sparking in his eyes as he spoke. "Who could stop you if you wanted to slaughter them?"

Anthony couldn't speak. He wanted to object, but how could he? Everything The Killer said, every word from his Father's mouth rang true in his head. He knew how easy it would be, he thought about it every day. It kept him up late, woke him up early.

"What is your name?" Father tilted his head to the side with his simple question.

"... Anthony." Anthony hesitated for a moment, but managed to lift his head and look Father in the eye, steeling himself.

Father stood then. His gaze drifted out to the playground around them, before he turned his head, looking to his kin from above. "Order isn't for people like us, Anarchy. Chaos is the only escape from your torment."

"Anarchy..?" Anthony's brows furrowed with confusion up at Father, remaining seated. "I, said my name is Anthony..."

"But it doesn't have to be." The Killer smiled down at his son, before he turned and began walking away, towards the gate of Heaven.

"..." Anthony lowered his head, sitting in quiet contemplation as his Father's words echoed in his head. But, just before he was out of ear shot...

"Wait."

The Killer paused, looking over his shoulder to Anthony, who now stood, a DETERMINED glare on his face. "I've got one more question."

Father smiled at that. his smiles were usually a means to an end, fake and plastic. Not this time. There was pride, seeing his own venom growing and infecting his only son.

"You... You're the reason mom hates me, aren't you?" Anthony's eyes narrowed in a rare and threatening display, his jaw clenching. "You're my dad."

The Killer just smiled at Anthony, closing the playground gate between the two. He turned his back on his son, it was easy. He'd done it before. Like his smiles, like his words, it was all a means to an end. But, before he walked away, he found himself with one last piece of advice. A simple bit of wisdom for one of the four running to be his successor.

An unfair advantage, perhaps. But what could The Killer say? Anthony was a difficult boy. He needed a little more elbow grease put into him than the other seeds he had planted.

 **"Kill Her."**

Things were silent between Anthony and Anarchy as the memory faded, and in sync they looked back to one another. Their Father's words echoed like a bell struck in their head, even now. Reminded them of the foundation on which their body count laid.

"When we returned home, we didn't hesitate to tell mother that we'd met our father." Anthony spoke emotionlessly, unblinking eyes not leaving Anarchy's. ""Not sure why. Maybe we wanted to provoke her."

"She beat us worse than ever before. Left us down here until we lost track of the days." Anarchy returned Anthony's lifeless stare, the two explaining a story that each of them knew like the back of their hand to one another. "We never cried out, never begged her to stop or to release us from the darkness."

In unison the two of them stood, stepping away from the center of the basement and looking to the floor where they had been sitting. There, in their place, laid a sixteen year old Anthony. Flat on his back, mouth hanging open. His eyes were devoid of any of that old joy, the light that had once illuminated them extinguished.

"Our body ached every second we clung to our pitiful existence. It hurt to move, and we felt no desire to do so." Anthony watched his past self lay dying, the both of them expressionless. "So we laid there, on the ice cold concrete, wondering if Death would come to take us away from this place."

"But it didn't. Something deep inside of us refused to give out." Anarchy crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes down at the filthy, beaten boy before him. "Even when our blood dried on our flesh. Even when we couldn't hold it any longer, and had no option but to soil ourselves. Even as we starved and dehydrated. We should have died days ago, but our body would not give in. Our will to live would not break."

"The air stung our throat, poisoned by our disgusting form." Anthony narrowed his eyes, his jaw clenching as he watched his dying self's lips start to curl upwards. "And yet, with our stomach digesting our body, our bones aching from our mother's twisted love, our dry mouth inhaling the horrible odor of our own piss and shit just so we could keep clinging to life... We could only focus on one thing. A single phrase repeated in our head. Over. And over. And over again."

In unison, Anarchy and Anthony spoke. Recalled the motivation behind their DETERMINATION. In this desire, they were identical. In their shared skull, they both heard these words whisper louder than any scream.

 _ **"I don't want to die."**_

The dying Anthony's chest twitched, his lips splitting and sending fresh red streams down his face as they crept upwards at a gradual pace.

 _"... Ha... Haha... Hahaha..."_

A dried, horse and gravely laugh dinged off the walls, the pipes, the wood. It bounced around the depths, surrounded Anthony, screamed in his ears and fueled his madness. He kicked his aching legs, clawed at the concrete until his finger tips split and bled. His mad laughter grew and grew, sending vicious, hysterical strength through his body. He threw his head from side to side, his bloodshot eyes wasting what water his body had left and sending tears streaming down his face. His cheeks ached, his throat burned, his lips bled. But he couldn't stop smiling, couldn't quiet his laughter.

The worms, the twisting shadows opened their fanged mouths. They giggled right along with Anthony, reveled with him in his misery. What insane person wouldn't laugh, anyway? The kid's destruction was an absolute knee slapper. At least he was good for a laugh.

It was all just so goddamn funny. Anthony was furious with himself for not getting the joke sooner. But the punchline had landed, even if he hadn't understood the set up. And it made him cackle and wheeze. Brought him joy and fear and anger and sadness the likes of which he had never experienced.

"... This was terrifying." Anthony spoke, the laughter that was nearly the two halves final testimony a mere buzzing in their ears. "Not just the disturbing, delusional visions, or being on the verge of death in the darkness we were so afraid of, but..."

"Knowing that our grip on reality was slipping." Anarchy finished for him. He reached up as he spoke, placing a single hand over his chest. His free hand dangled at his side, white knuckled fingers wrapped around his crowbar. "Not being sure what's real and what's some disgusting fantasy."

"Feeling my mind cracking, my personality splitting..." Anthony's eyes were wide, and he reached up, placing a hand over his face. His fingers split, letting his haunted eyes peak through. "To this day I've never felt anything like it, this moment. When we really disconnected from reality."

"There were no words to prepare us for this." Anarchy narrowed his eyes with spite. His hand grabbed at his shirt, balling the fabric in his fist. "No explanation for going insane, no accurate definition of psychotic."

"I guess that makes sense." Anthony's grip on his face tightened, like he thought it might be ripped from him. "It's a kind of horror no sane man or woman could ever grasp."

"... But the fear was nothing compared to the joy."

"..." Anthony was silent with hesitation, and his body relaxed, hand dropping from his face. Hair shadowing his eyes, he finally spoke. "... Yeah. I cried for awhile, but when I finally got the joke?"

 _"Aha..! Ahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA!"_

 **"It was hilarious."**

"And then we were free." Anarchy's faced contorted with his wicked grin, that crowbar shaking in his grasp. "And our life wasn't a tragedy anymore. It was a comedy."

"This realization, this new discovery that madness gave us, it pushed us to survive." As Anthony spoke, his past self's wide and bloodshot eyes darted to the crowbar that laid in the one stream of light in the vantablack. "To ascend and break open the gates of Hell."

The boy forced his aching body to move, his cackling sending tremors throughout his twisted form as he used his bloodied fingers to rip his filthy clothes from himself. He was a stumbling, writhing mess, giggling while he wrestled out of his grime and pushed himself onto his bare feet.

Soon enough, there he stood. Naked and in the dark. A wild animal. A frothing dog, a cackling hyena. A filthy bug, broken free of its chrysalis. But there were no wings, he was not a butterfly or even a moth. He had pincers for clawing out of the dirt hole his egg had been laid in, and a poison dipped stinger for skewering his prey. He was a scorpion.

He stumbled to that crowbar, and without hesitation he snatched it from the floor. Mother had left it there for him, he was certain. It was all she would ever give him. It was all he was ever meant to own. His inheritance, his claws and his stinger.

Next, he shambled his corpse to the one visible pipe on the ceiling. It had loomed over him, mocking him with the salvation it held out of his grasp. But his pincers could reach now. His tormentor was no longer safe from his wrath. Standing under the pipe, he swung upwards, smashing it open and sending water pouring down over him.

His blood, his sweat, his waste. All cleaned from his scarred body. All the trash, all the filth washed away in the cold waterfall of his psychosis. All the agony his former life had brought him, down the drain. He drank, gulped down the water to wash down all of the blood and venom on his tongue. He took his torment deep inside of himself, buried it forever with the madness he drank from, the madness with which he cured his weakness.

The coin was flipping now, and the earth would shatter under it when it collided back to the ground.

And when the indistinguishable sound of a pipe breaking and water flooding your homestead reached his mother's ears, her fury returned to her.

Anarchy sat on his knees, his lower half shrouded in the darkness. Only his chest and head was visible, soaking wet hair falling in snow white streams over his face as he held his head low. He listened to every step, an honest smile concealed as the floorboards creaked, closer and closer to the door atop the staircase.

"You brat! What the hell did you do?!" Mother snapped, hobbling her tired and broken down body towards the motionless beast, submerged halfway in darkness.

She had frizzy, brown hair. Her skin was pale, her cheeks sucked tight to her face. She looked like a skeleton with skin, her blue eyes sunken in and surrounded by dark bags. She was short, only a few inches over five feet tall. She looked worse than Anarchy had ever seen her, likely as a result of a bender while Anthony wasn't there to take care of her. A self destructive fool, but it would not be her own cowardly and slow suicide that would rip her life from her. That task fell to the scorpion.

"Did you break that pipe, you worthless little shit?!" Mother loomed over Anarchy, her hands balled into fists. "Didn't you learn your lesson?!"

"I'm gonna-! Gonna..." She hesitated, eyes scanning the lighter side of the basement. "Hey, where's my-?"

Anarchy did not lift his head, even as his left hand emerged from the darkness. He presented that crowbar to his Mother clear as day, without hesitation.

Fear struck the Mother when she saw her equalizer in the hands of her son, her eyes going wide and her pupils shrinking. A stinger rose from the blackness in the form of that crowbar, a poisonous spike that curled and loomed over her, ready to puncture her cruel heart and let her life splatter across the chilled concrete in a sickly red.

"G-give me that!" She snatched out towards the chunk of metal, but her heart jumped in her chest when Anarchy's pale fist wrapped tight around her wrist, stopping it in place. She was trapped now, in the vice grip of one pincer. Prey at the scorpion's mercy.

"... Mother..."

Her eyes narrowed, teeth chattering before she ground them together. She watched as her child lifted his head, their eyes meeting in the deepest depths of their shared torment. But those orbs were different now. Wide and soulless, analytical of his prey's every movement. No remorse and no joy. His eyes were that of an arachnid, showing no desires beyond that to survive. To kill and consume, no matter how cruel the trap or how desperate the prey.

"I've been a rotten son, haven't I..?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side, frowning quite sadly as that crowbar dropped with his hand back into the darkness. The curved tail disappeared into the black, where The Mother could no longer see it. As if she could possibly forget doom was lurking just out of sight.

The Mother growled, tugging on her hand desperately. Cold sweat beaded down her forehead, and she gulped when Anarchy's grip did not budge. A squirming rat without a lick of dignity, ready to lie and show her belly just to keep out of the scorpion's hungry maw.

"N-no, Anthony." She lied quickly, eyes trembling with fear. Iced blood pumped quickly through her veins, courtesy of her pounding heart. "You've... You've always been a very good boy..!"

This made Anarchy smile. A warm, genuine smile. He looked so happy to hear that. He brought his mother's hand close, and he gently rubbed his cheek against her palm. There was a sweetness there, a show of love and affection he'd spent his life chasing. He closed his eyes, and took one deep, calming breath. For just a moment, there was no scorpion. There was no rat. There was a mother and her loving son.

The Mother's expression softened with relief, not daring try to struggle away now. She even opened her hand, gently caressed her son's cheek, though it disgusted her. But, if it would save her pathetic life, allow her to scurry away like the cowardly rodent she was and continue to wallow until her substance abuse put her out of her misery, she would do anything. She would give the terrifying arachnid the love it craved, even if she was revolted by it.

"... Mother." Anarchy paused, one beautiful ruby eye opening to stare up innocently at the woman who was supposed to care for and nurture him. He had one question, all he'd ever wanted to know and all he'd ever needed. "Do you love me..?"

"..." Her teeth grit, and she swallowed the fearful lump in her dry throat. She wanted to spit in his freaky little face, tell him how much she'd come to loath him in the passing years. How angry his loving smiles made her, how she hated his kindness for all the guilt it poisoned her with.

... But then that anger faded. A simple realization that made a regret unlike any other wash over The Mother. It made tears build in her haggard eyes, overflowing down her crows feet. For just a moment she was aware of how pathetic she was. She knew she was a rat, and she knew her son had the potential to be so much more. This thought always lurked in the back of her head, and usually it filled her with spite, envy, hatred. She was usually indignant, furious to be outshined by the bastard son that monster had left her with.

But, in this moment, she had been reminded. How she'd felt so many years ago, before all of her self loathing made her forget how to love. She knew now, why she'd kept her baby. He was not his father's son, he was her's. And that made him special to her. The most special thing to ever emerge from her. She was worthless, after all. But this boy didn't have to be. Maybe she still had a chance, maybe Anthony could be the one worthwhile thing she could contribute to this world.

The answer was clear. The fog of her madness had cleared with the gusts of emotions long forgotten.

"... Yes, Anthony. Of course I love you." Tears cupping her sickly cheeks, The Mother smiled sadly down at her one and only son. "You're all I have, and... You've always been so wonderful to me..."

"... I know I didn't deserve it." Her eyes glossed to the side, her head lowering shamefully. "I know I'm terrible, I know I've done things to you that no human being should ever have to experience, I know I'm a monster. And... I'm sorry, Anthony... You never deserved any of this..."

Anthony stared up at her with raised eyebrows and unblinking eyes. He looked stunned. That was reasonable, he honestly thought he'd never hear those words from his Mother. See such... Genuine emotion in her usually lifeless eyes. This was a beautiful moment, something defining in such a putrid existence.

"Ha... Haha..."

Or, it would have been.

The Mother's brows furrowed, watching her son lower his head as his body began to tremble with giggles. "Anthony..?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Anthony grinned in his amusement, clenching his eyes shut while he snickered. "It's just, so funny!"

"Ehehe... What's so funny..?" The Mother slowly tilted her head to the side, nervous sweat breaking out on her forehead as she made a piss poor attempt at mimicking her sons joy with one nervous laugh.

"I wasted, so many years wishing you would love me back!" Anthony had trouble speaking through his grin and the tremors of his joy, his body leaning forward and his soaking wet hair falling around his lowered face. "B-but, now that you do..!"

In one swift motion, Anarchy whipped his head back up, his mane of white hair flinging back and out of his face, giving his Mother clear view of his wicked expression. His bloodshot eyes, his ear to ear grin.

He really did look so much like his Father.

"Now it's too late!"

His Mother's eyes widened at those words, horrified pupils shrinking as Anarchy opened his mouthful of sharp teeth wide, the scorpion opening those chelicerae and chomping down over her index, middle, and ring fingers. He ripped them clean from her hand and crunched their bones in his mouth, not at all minding the streams of red spraying through the air or his mother's scream.

Her horrified screech was short lived, however, when Anarchy's crowbar swung up from the darkness she'd thrown him into, smashing into her jaw and shattering it, along with several yellow stained teeth. A vicious jab from the tail, mutilating the rat's face in an instant and quieting it's pathetic little squeaks for mercy or help before they could begin.

The Mother dropped onto her back, cowardly tears flooding down her face and mixing with the blood that overflowed down her chin. She desperately crawled backwards as Anarchy stood to his full height, stepping from the shadows and looming over her as he finished chewing, swallowing the bone his powerful jaws had crushed to mush.

"And isn't that just hilarious?!" Said the scorpion to the rat, reveling in the twisted irony that was his relationship with his prey. The only thing the rat ever had, the little white and red egg she had hatched with her emotion. Oh, the beautiful things it could have been, if only she hadn't nurtured it on her hatred and her fear.

"You're finally ready to love me, only after you taught me to hate you!"

The Mother gargled on her own blood, coughing and sputtering while she desperately crawled away. The scorpion was fast, however, Anarchy quickly grabbing her ankle with one pincer of a pale hand and dragging her, squeaking and writhing, back into the range of his stinger.

"Come on, isn't that funny to you?!" Those cold arachnid eyes reflected none of the joy in Anarchy's grin, even as he yanked back his crowbar for another decisive strike. "Laugh, damn it, laugh!"

Her leg caved easily, knee snapping unnaturally to the side, bending around the tail that shattered it. And while the rodent's desperate screeches resounded, Anarchy's starving jaws parted once more, ripping into the flesh of her calf. He tore a mouthful of meat from his prey, viciously chewing it and gulping it down to soothe the desperate cries of his long empty stomach.

The rat screeched and flailed, easily restrained by the shattered leg the scorpion held in its pincer. That too was ironic, that one of the limbs on which she would have used to escape she was now trapped by.

"Louder, louder!" Anarchy cackled, mercilessly stomping his powerful foot down on his Mother's frail rib cage, sending crimson spewing up her throat and more blood spilling out of her decimated mouth. "Cackle! Sob! Let me share the LOVE you taught me!"

Anarchy ripped another chunk of flesh from his Mother's broken leg with his fangs, snapping his jaws mercilessly and swallowing another piece of the rat. Then, he threw the shattered leg aside, and planted one devastating kick in his Mother's side, flipping her into her stomach and sending another shock wave rippling through her dying body and forcing another cough to send red splattering across the floor.

The Mother reached out towards the light of the staircase desperately, but Anarchy's crowbar fell from the sky like divine retribution, snapping her bony arm like the twig it was and sending another garbled scream croaking from her blood soaked throat.

"Don't try to run away!" Anarchy dropped one knee onto his Mother's back, slamming her spine with all of his weight and making her arch her neck and shoulders up, giving the scorpion a perfect opportunity to grab a fistful of her hair, holding up her blood soaked face towards the light. He was proving a point now. That the darkness hadn't killed him, and of his tormentor he was making an example. "C'mon, the basement is a fine place for a rat to die!"

"Just! Feel! The! Nice! Soft! Concrete!" With each sadistic word Anarchy bashed her face into the unforgiving floor. shattered her nose. Her eye sockets. Her front teeth.

Anarchy continued to strike the ground with his Mother's face. His laughter eventually stopped, replaced by primal screams. In this moment, all of his anger and all of his wrath exploding through his veins. And such pure, raw emotion gave him clarity. Cleared all of the confusion, the static indecision that had clouded his brain for what felt like an eternity disappeared with each abusive strike, each cruel use of his power over another.

He was not the hero.

Anarchy yanked his Mother's head up from the blood soaked floor, displaying her mutilated face to the light of the staircase.

He did not exist in the same world as the rest of man.

Howling his rage, Anarchy threw up his free hand, pointing the crowbar that he wielded straight downward.

Order was not for him. There were no rules, no laws, no commandments that protected him. In the eyes of humanity, he was a beast. He was not a human being.

Anarchy stabbed down with all of the might in his scarred body, the wicked light of murder burning in his eyes for the very first time. With his venomous and powerful tail, he stung to kill the rat.

He was the scorpion.

The top of The Mother's skull caved under the curved end of Anarchy' inheritance, the cruel steel crashing through her brain and killing her instantly. Anarchy didn't rest, however. With one furious roar he shifted his grip on his crowbar, yanking the top of it back towards himself and sending the half of it that was in his mother's head bursting out from her forehead, sending bits of skull and grey matter flinging through the air. Crimson splattering up the left side of Anarchy's face with this motion, and it became apparent that he wasn't grinning anymore.

And he was _**starving**_ _._

Chest heaving with his rabid breaths, Anarchy let his stinger recede, lay on the floor at his side. He leaned over the corpse of the rat, and his pincers and chelicerae tore what flesh it had from it's bones, feeding into his voracious jaws until he was soaked in red and his stomach was full.

"... And then we were ready." The Anarchist finally spoke again, watching his past self stand from what remained of his dear mother.

"..." With narrowed eyes Anthony watched his past unfurl, seeing the scorpion walk through the blood and viscera of his victim to the bottom of the stairs. "... And then we escaped Hell."

The scorpion, dripping with blood and sweat, wrapped one red stained hand around the railing. The stairs creaked, begged him to stop as he ascended. But they were weak, and he was strong. They could not stand against him.

He reached the doorway, and without hesitation he jammed his crowbar between the door and its frame, snapping apart the cheap wood and sending the gates flinging open with his will.

Anthony and Anarchy watched that naked, beaten animal disappear, before the memory faded, and the basement door was closed once more.

"But now we're trapped again." Anarchy's eyes drifted down to his crowbar, narrowing with thought.

"... Yeah." Anthony took a few steps towards the stairs, looking up to the light that streamed down, not daring touch his flesh.

"... After we killed mom, we took a shower and got dressed." Anarchy continued to retell while he walked back to the center of the basement, right where pitch black met the dim light, and took a seat once again.

"We cleaned ourself up, disinfected our cuts and drank water until our stomach hurt." Anthony spoke while he too made his way back to the center, stepping past where his shield lay on the ground and taking a seat across from Anarchy. "Then we slept for about eighteen hours on an actual bed. All above our mother's rotting corpse."

"When we woke up, we left this house and we never came back." Anarchy stared unblinking, his lips curving up some. "For weeks, we slept in alleys. Random naps wherever we found a quiet hole to hide in between our murders."

"We killed a lot of people, and were subsisting mostly on human flesh." Anthony frowned, but Anarchy looked quite amused. "The city was suddenly on edge. People were looking over their shoulder during the day and staying in at night."

"There were rumors of a ghoul lurking in the shadows. One with ghostly white skin and blood red eyes." Anarchy's eyes were wide and bloodshot, his grin from ear to ear. "Suddenly, everyone who had once hurt us was wetting their bed at the thought of being one of the mangled corpses they were finding in every dark corner'a the city!"

"We were something supernatural. The way we hunted and killed, they dubbed us inhuman. Thought we had to have been some monster. Thought no human could do what we do." Anthony stared into Anarchy's psychotic smile with a rather bland expression. "But if anyone knows just how evil a human can be, it's us."

"This was the golden age of our madness." Anarchy leaned back on his hands, smiling quite proudly. "There was no method, there was no discrimination. Young, old. Rich, poor. Black, white. We killed whoever we damn well pleased. Hunted them like an animal. We could be anywhere at any time. There was no where to track us back to, because we had no home. We had nowhere to return to."

"We wondered how on Earth the police hadn't found us yet. We'd killed rich people, so surely they were looking for us." Anthony crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "We didn't find out until later that it was because we had a purposely sloppier copycat killer who was drawing the attention away from us."

"Another red eyed, white shadow." Anarchy narrowed his eyes, his grin subsiding to a smirk. "Seemed Father was looking out for us. There really _was_ a first time for everything!"

"There was _one_ person who could see the difference, however." Anthony tilted his head, his lips drooping in a slight frown. "A certain someone who was assembling a team. Getting ready to make a power play."

The blackness to their side shifted once more, displaying a gas station in the night. It was mostly empty, apart from one figure who wore an oversized black sweatshirt with the hood up. He kept his head low as he pulled a gallon jug of water from the shelf, hiding his face in shadow.

He wandered to the cashier, setting the jug on the counter while he rummaged through his pocket. By the time the jug was rung up, he'd yanked some crumpled, loose dollar bills free and set them down beside it. He grabbed the water, turned, and walked out without a word, not waiting for his change.

He left the store, glancing from side to side along the empty, street lamp lit sidewalk. When he didn't see anyone, he tore the cap from his gallon of water, immediately turning it upside down on his dry and cracked lips, hungrily sucking down the jug's contents while he walked.

As he tilted his head back to drink, his hood slipped from his head, revealing his unkempt mane of white hair and pale skin.

"So it wasn't an exaggeration. That _is_ surprising."

Anarchy turned his head instantly, lowering his jug and throwing his free hand out to the side, sending his crowbar sliding out of his sleeve and into his grasp.

"Easy, easy!" A young man the same age as Anarchy stepped from the shadows of an alleyway, holding up his hands defensively. He wore a red on black suit and tie, his redish black hair slicked back. He looked far too wealthy to be standing in this neck of the woods. "I'm not here to fight you."

Anarchy didn't respond. He screwed the cap back on his jug of water, set it down at his feet, and took a step towards The Gatherer. His filthy hands were white knuckled around his crowbar.

"Ahem." Gatherer straightened his tie calmly, shutting his eyes for a moment. "Predator."

Anarchy's ruby eyes suddenly widened when a figure flipped down from a rooftop above. Before he could react, she had landed behind him and spun around, the curved blade of her scythe wrapped around Anarchy's neck from behind to threaten his throat.

"So, you're the one who's been rampaging all through the city, yes?" Gatherer tilted his head to the side with his question. "The murderer everyone is so afraid of?"

"So what if I am?" Anarchy finally spoke, his lips cracking upwards while he nodded back towards the raven haired young woman behind him. "You gonna have Black Mamba here kill me?"

"I might." Predator spoke, those ice blue eyes narrowing as she brought that blade closer to Anarchy's throat. "If you don't put the crowbar away, that is."

"Go ahead and chop my head off." Anarchy grinned over his shoulder at her, madness flickering in his eyes like a basement light in a horror movie. "Just don't be surprised when I pick it up off the ground and use it to beat you to death."

"Take it easy, Lexi." Gatherer spoke calmly, earning a glare from his teammate. "We aren't here to pick a fight."

"Then whaddaya want?" Anarchy narrowed his eyes back at the Gatherer. "I'm a busy man, so make it quick."

"I've been watching you." Gatherer confessed, holding his hands behind his back. "You kill like nothing I've ever seen. You hunt people like a wild animal."

"I am a wild animal." Anarchy frowned, hand balling into a fist.

"You're a wounded animal." Gatherer's lips curved up ever so slightly, and Anarchy grit his teeth.

He recognized those words as true. His bones still ached from the beating his Mother had given him that he'd never properly treated. He was squalid, muscles torn and cuts infected under his hoodie. Food and water had been scarce, he often went days at a time without one or the other. Not to mention the twisted, schizophrenic visions that taunted him, that hissed and snapped their jaws at him from just outside his line of sight. The longer he went without taking a human life, the more frequently they appeared. The more vicious they became.

"You shamble through the pain, but you understand that your body will fail you in these conditions." Gatherer narrowed those cold, analytical eyes of his. "You know you can't keep up this lifestyle, even while you claim to be unkillable."

"... What do you want from me?" Anarchy narrowed those eyes, watching Gatherer carefully. He knew a snake when he saw one, as a scorpion he had good eyes for such a thing.

"Something has been taken from me. I want to reclaim it." A frown settled onto Gatherer's face at some unpleasant memory. "Surely you can understand that?"

"'Fraid I can't." Anarchy blinked his dead eyes, raising his crowbar. "Only thing I've ever had is this, and I stole it from someone to get it."

"Hm." Gatherer's lips curved upwards some at those words. "Then I suppose you have more in common with my associate behind you."

"... Hey." Anarchy spoke casually, nodding over his shoulder to Predator. She smiled in a way that was less than friendly, returning his nod.

"My point is, I have a very large inheritance clutched in very greedy hands. Hands that the money must be pried from, once they are cold and dead." Gatherer narrowed his eyes, and his hands clenched tight behind his back. "Cold and dead. I'm certain _that_ is something you understand _very_ well."

"... Yeah. I do." Anarchy squinted his red orbs suspiciously, analyzing Gatherer's every movement. "How much money are we talkin' here?"

"Enough to get a hospital to look at those injuries and keep their mouths shut about your identity. Enough to pay for some antipsychotics to keep whatever disorders strangle and twist your brain at bay." Gatherer smiled convincingly, tilting his head to the side. "Enough to give your dangerous life a bit more of a guarantee."

"..." Anarchy was silent, contemplating Gatherer's every word behind his cold expression.

"... So who do you need to die?"

"That started a new chapter of our life." Anthony spoke once more as the memory dissipated into the inky black. "With Lexi's help, we got into the mansion, got the drop on all the guards, and then took care of the greedy relatives Xander mentioned."

"Originally we were gonna go our separate ways after that, but we all worked together so well and had so much money in our hands that it gave G an idea." Anarchy smiled wickedly, leaning forward and grabbing his ankles, his legs crossed. "We were gonna run that shitball city."

"Soon enough, we were recovered from our lingering injuries and medicated enough to not wanna murder the other three we shared the mansion with and not be hallucinating anymore." Anthony narrowed his eyes, and his jaw clenched furiously. "... There was just one problem."

"Angel The Hacker." Anarchy spoke with the same measure of contempt that was in Anthony's expression. "What a sorry sight for sore eyes."

"It took him awhile to even get the balls to say a word to us." Anthony's hands balled into hateful fists. "And when he did, it went pretty poorly."

"So G enlisted you too, Anthony?"

Anarchy stiffened some as he was addressed, his eyes narrowing at the food on his plate and his knuckles whitening around his fork. He was sat at the kitchen table, his back to The Hacker.

"..." He was silent, choosing to put this moment into figuring out how he would handle this.

"Huh. Small world." Angel was trying his best to sound casual, but the awkwardness he felt was seeping into his tone.

"..." Anarchy looked over his shoulder, and The Hacker nearly jumped from the coldness in the crimson eye that landed on him. "Who are you, exactly?"

He remembered Angel full well. But if he had forgotten Anthony for all those years, Anarchy decided he would return the favor.

"What, you don't remember me?" Angel almost sounded offended, stepping to Anarchy's side to get a better look him. "I know it's been a few years, and uh..."

The Hacker hesitated then, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck while he glanced to the side. "Clearly stuff has changed a lot for you in that time, but..."

"Get lost." Anarchy stated coldly, eyes drifting back to his food.

"Yeeesh..." Angel grimaced, before looking back to Anarchy. He took a desperate step closer, putting a hand over his chest. "C'mon man, it's me! My name is-"

"I don't give a damn what your name is!" Anarchy snapped, Angel's emerald eyes widening while shadows covered Anarchy's. "Leave me alone, I'm busy!"

"..." The Hacker was in a stunned silence, before his eyes narrowed painfully, and he lowered his head. "Right. I get it. I've uh... I've gotta, finish setting up my room, anyway."

Anarchy didn't move as Angel turned and began to walk towards the exit of the kitchen.

"... See ya later, Anthony."

"Anarchy." Anarchy responded simply and bitterly, making Angel arch a brow over his shoulder at him.

"What?"

"My name is Anarchy." The Anarchist once more turned those chilling red eyes on The Hacker. "Stop calling me that other name."

"... Yeah." Angel's hair fell over his eyes, and he turned his head to look back ahead. "Gotcha."

The memory faded, and the two pissed off halves of one pissed off whole looked back to each other.

"For two years, Angel lived in the same mansion as us. Yet in that time, I could probably count the amount of times we talked on my hands." Anthony exhaled slowly through his nose, shaking his head.

"But that was fine." Anarchy explained, leaning back on his hands. "We didn't wanna talk to him. We kept ourself busy."

"Us and Predator were the enforcers when things got started." Anthony's eyes fell to the ground, narrowing with some kind of unpleasant emotion. "Gatherer made offers and deals, and whoever stood against us wound up as an example. Soon enough people got the point: we were in charge."

"We spent most of our time between the crimes we had to be directly involved with training and getting stronger." Anarchy smirked lightly, murder gleaming in his eyes. "The Predator had been fighting her whole life, so she picked up quite a few skills that she was happy to teach us."

"We avoided Angel, but the other two were alright. Enjoyable, even." Anthony shrugged, eyes glossing to the side. "I knew Xander was a snake, but he also never had any fear in his eyes. And I respected that."

"When we first met her, there was a bit of that fear in Lexi's eyes. But when it went away, we realized it wasn't fear for us." Anarchy looked upwards, seeming to be thinking. "I think she might have encountered a different killer albino. One that we probably reminded her of."

"But, when she got to know us, she stopped seeing that reflection." Anthony's eyebrows furrowed with confusion then. "Which was... Strange. Someone that hated us had never taken the time to get to know us before, and they had certainly never stopped hating us."

"I'm bad at understanding these kinds of things, but I think we may have been... Friends." Anarchy, too, looked confused. "One day, she said something strange to us."

Another memory manifested from the dark, and the two turned their attention to it.

Anarchy laid on a bench under florescent lighting, bringing a metal bar with weighted plates on each end down to his chest, before pushing it back up as far as his arms would reach, and then repeating the process of bench pressing.

The mansion had a personal gym for a basement. Certainly a step up from the last basement he'd known.

"Hey, uh, Anarchy?"

Anarchy tilted his head back, cocking one upside-down eyebrow at Predator, who stood at the bottom of the stairway. She watched him with a foreign amount of hesitation, and on some level, that concerned The Anarchist.

"What's up, Predator?" Anarchy asked calmly, racking his bar and sitting up. He turned his body, letting his feet hit the floor, which was covered in mats.

"I uh, I need to apologize for something." Predator admitted awkwardly, walking across the basement to meet Anarchy.

"Apologize?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side, repeating her word with confusion. It wasn't just that he didn't know of anything she had to say sorry for, it was that the very concept of apologizing was foreign to The Anarchist. In all eighteen years of his life he could count the times he'd heard one on one hand.

"Do you, remember when you were little, holding an umbrella over a crying little girl in an alleyway..?" Predator rubbed the back of her head, eyes darting to the side nervously. "One who uh, shoved you down and called you a freak before running away?"

"..?" Anarchy furrowed his brows, looking quite confused for a moment before his eyebrows rose, his eyes widening some with a surprising realization. "Oh my god that was you."

"Ehehe... Yup." Predator grinned awkwardly back to Anarchy. "I just, wanted to say sorry for that."

"I was..." Predator's eyes narrowed painfully, looking to the floor. "Having, a pretty bad day. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"..." Anarchy stared at her with genuine confusion for a moment, before closing his eyes and shrugging. "Don't worry about it, Lexi. It's fine."

Lexi sighed, like she'd felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Anarchy turned his back on her for a moment, glancing over his shoulder while he began taking the weights from the bar he'd been using. "I mean, you were right, anyway. I am a freak."

These words came casually from Anarchy, but they certainly seemed to strike the wrong cord with Lexi, who's expression hardened with some kind of irritation.

"Hey, don't say that!" Lexi exclaimed, stamping her foot and further confusing The Anarchist while he set the weights he'd been using back on their respective racks.

"... You're being weird." Anarchy stated bluntly, turning around and crossing his arms while he faced Lexi. "Why are you suddenly so concerned about my self esteem?"

"..." Lexi hesitated, lowering her head and narrowing her eyes painfully at the mats. "Angel told me about your childhood."

"He did _what_?" An immediate response through gritted teeth. The Anarchist stepped forward, lowering his head to be at eye level with The Predator. Instantly he looked furious. In his anger, he forgot he'd been pretending none of those things happened and that he hadn't known Angel.

"Look, I'm sorry!" Predator threw up her hands defensively. "Don't be mad at Angel, I'm the one who dragged it out of him!"

"Well it was none of your goddamn business!" Anarchy snapped furiously, taking a step closer and forcing Lexi to step back.

"I know that!" Lexi defended, placing a hand over her chest.

"Then why'd you go digging?!" Anarchy threw his hands out to his sides angrily.

"BECAUSE!" Predator snapped right back at him, making him recoil. After her explosion, there was a pause, in which the both of them were too surprised to speak.

"... Because..." Lexi's eyes drifted to the floor, and she reached up, rubbing her shoulder. "... You guys are the only family I've ever had."

Anarchy was quiet, just narrowing his eyes with further confusion while he waited for Predator to continue. Her words were hard to grasp. 'Family'...

"I, get that we do bad things. I get that we've hurt people." Her bangs shadowed her eyes as she spoke, a frown settling in on her face. "But... Does that have to make us bad people..?"

"... Lexi, I've eaten people before." Anarchy narrowed his eyes coldly, his harsh words coming out without much thought. "I don't know what you want me to tell you."

"... Right." Lexi winced at his words, keeping her head down. "Sorry for bothering you with this, I... I know you're busy."

Anarchy's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing painfully at these words and the state of his comrade.

 _"H-hey, mom? Look! I drew us!"_

 _"I'm busy, Anthony. I don't wanna look at your shitty drawing."_

 _"H-huh? Oh, uhm... Well, it's, just a rough draft! I-I can make it better, i-if you want."_

 _"I don't care, just take it somewhere else."_

This feeling was foreign to Anarchy. Guilt, and some kind of care for another. He hadn't felt such a thing in years, certainly not since he became... This. Anarchy was aware of and could handle just about every kind of pain he'd ever felt. But this feeling he did not want to tolerate. It was annoying, thought provoking in all the worst ways. So, he had to make it go away.

"..." Anarchy lifted his hand, and Lexi jolted with surprise when he placed it on her head in an admittedly awkward and unskilled attempt at comfort. But, when in combination with the three words he spoke, his attempt landed, and succeeded in lighting his friend's shoulders.

"You aren't evil."

While Lexi stood there, stunned by this out of character kindness from her serial killer friend, Anarchy took his hand off her head and turned around.

She watched him walk away, holding her hands together in front of her chest. But, when Anarchy reached the stairway, she felt she had something else to say.

"... Anthony."

Anarchy looked over his shoulder at her, not uttering a word. Usually hearing that name would have aggravated him, but just this once it stirred no contempt. It felt... Right, even. Like he was comfortable hearing that name from her.

"You aren't evil either." Lexi spoke from her heart, lowering her hands to her sides and giving Anarchy a DETERMINED stare. "And I don't think you're a freak, even after everything you've done."

"..." Anarchy stared at her for a few seconds that dragged on like hours. He wanted to speak, but there were no words that felt appropriate. Nothing that could explain the complex emotions that such simple words made him feel.

... Simple. Truthfully, for The Anarchist, it was always the littlest things that held the most value. His life had been denied even the tinniest scraps of joy for its majority, so now seeing those scraps brought an undeniably pleasant feeling about.

"... Thanks." An easy, one word response. Something small, like the tiny things he appreciated. Then, The Anarchist climbed the stairs, and left The Predator in the basement.

"... Truly, our life is made up by chilling moments with crazy women in basements." Anarchy spoke as the memory faded, looking back to Anthony.

"The next day, we gave up our life so Lexi could live." Anthony's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, glossing to the floor. "I'm not sure we would have if she hadn't said those things to us."

"She said we were family. And family is supposed to look out for each other." Anarchy crossed his arms, eyes darting to the side. "... 'Course, if we were a family, that'd make Hacker the deadbeat dad."

Another memory manifested. The two watched with dead eyes.

"... Anarchy?"

"... Didn't mean to wake you up." The Anarchist spoke emotionlessly, blinking those ruby eyes at his former friend. He stood in the light of the kitchen, and Angel was waking up on one of the lobby couches. "Go back to sleep, we've got an important mission tomorrow and we can't afford you falling asleep at the screens."

"Then what are you doing up..?" Angel slowly sat up, rubbing one eye with his fist.

"None'a your business." Anarchy answered clearly and coldly, flicking off the light behind himself and dimming the lobby back to moonlight as he began to make his way to one of the two hallways by the staircase to the upstairs.

Angel furrowed his brows, lowering his eyes to the tile floor while his hands slowly clenched into fists against the knees of his jeans.

"... Anthony..?"

Anarchy stopped, glaring over his shoulder at Angel, his expression souring significantly. "Hacker, I already told you not to-"

"Do you ever feel bad about it..?" Angel cut him off, not lifting his head. "Do you ever just lay down and think about all the mistakes you've made?"

Anarchy's eyes narrowed, but his expression softened some. Barely, but some.

"Just... Sit around and kick yourself for the people you've left behind and let down and stabbed in the back and-..." Angel clenched his eyes shut tight, biting his tongue.

"... Sorry. I'm, probably barking up the wrong tree here."

Anarchy was silent for a few long moments, just staring back back at The Hacker with an unreadable expression.

"... Go to bed, Angel."

Angel's eyes widened some as Anarchy referred to him by his first name, something he hadn't done since the two were children. He lifted his head, but found that Anarchy had already disappeared into the darkness of that hallway, and the glimmer of hope disappeared from his eye.

"We know Angel well." Anarchy narrowed his eyes with aggravation as the memory disappeared. "We knew he was acting strange for a reason."

"There was an air about the mansion that day. I think in some subconscious way, we all knew a big change was comin'. Us n' Angel were just the only ones who knew death was gonna be a part of it." Anthony narrowed his eyes hatefully, hands gripping the knees of his jeans. "We couldn't prove it to anybody else, and we hoped our gut was wrong, but..."

"But tomorrow came, and Hacker screwed us." Anarchy finished with contempt, those murderous red eyes gleaming with their hatred.

One last memory.

Anarchy and Predator stood side by side, their hands raised above their heads and their backs against a wall. Sweat beaded down their foreheads while they looked out at the wall of criminals that blocked their path. There was about eight of them, several of them pointing guns at the two, including the one who stood at their center.

The lead of the gang members was a slender and tall man, wearing a black duster that was open in the front, revealing a white tank top and dirty, torn jeans. He was an intimidating man to most, but the only power he held over The Anarchist and The Predator was the glock in his hand.

"The Anarchist and The Predator." He grinned, ash dropping from the cigarette in his mouth while he tilted his head to the side. "We're gonna be a real big deal after we make examples outta you two."

Anarchy narrowed his crimson eyes, thoughts racing through his mind as he scanned the enemies before him. They'd gotten the drop on them, shot and killed all four of the poor scumbags the two had brought with them as backup. Now four of them had handguns drawn, one of them was brandishing a knife, and the other three were arrogant enough to stand there with their arms crossed, smirking condescendingly.

Needless to say, this pissed Anarchy off. He was certain this was Angel's doing. It was too calculated, there was information these thugs had that someone on the inside would have had to have told them. Now he was here, being threatened by extras. Nothing pawns and their crackhead king.

His eyes drifted over to Lexi. The Predator was keeping a stiff upper lip, but Anarchy knew. He could see the fear in her eyes, the ice cold sweat beading down her forehead.

She didn't want to die. And Anarchy didn't want to see her die. That was odd, a desire for someone other than himself to live. It had become foreign to The Anarchist, a level of humanity that disappeared when he hatched as The Scorpion. Now, staring Death in the face, it resurfaced. He thought that was cruel, but he knew he deserved cruelty.

 _"Does that have to make us bad people..?"_

... Lexi, however, did not deserve anything of that sort.

"Lexi." Anarchy spoke softly and out of the corner of his mouth, catching Predator's attention.

"We're screwed, right?" Lexi whispered back to Anarchy out of the corner of her own mouth. In any other occasion, a response from her that blunt would have amused Anarchy. But he didn't have time to entertain those things now.

"I'm going to make an opening, and you are going to run." Anarchy told her clearly and concisely, clearly catching her off guard.

"Wait, what?" Of course The Predator was surprised, she never thought Anarchy the type to sacrifice. Whether that sacrifice would be a bit of food or his life, he had never seemed willing to part with either.

"Get ready." Anarchy's eyes locked onto the lead of their enemies, lowering his hands and balling them into fists.

"W-wait, Anthony!" Lexi spoke in a harsh whisper, reaching out and grabbing the sleeve of her friend. It was all she could do, though it wasn't much at all. "There's gotta be another-!"

"You said you don't think I'm evil?" Anarchy cut her off, those ruby eyes striking her with all of their intensity.

"Well... Yeah. And I meant it..." Lexi furrowed her brows with concern, her mouth hanging open some, as if she wanted to say more. But no words came. They were choked in her throat by the lump growing there.

Anarchy turned his head back to the enemy, slowly exhaling and narrowing those murderous eyes.

"... Then let me prove you right."

Anarchy didn't give her the chance to respond. He didn't watch for her reaction. He closed his eyes, let his body relax and let the thoughts fade from his mind.

And when his crimson eyes opened again, they were soulless. Devoid of love or hate. Cold arachnid eyes, staring through all the delicious mice and lizards before him. The abandoned warehouse they were in pressurized. The lighting that peered in through the large windows above dimmed and flickered. In an instant, a dark presence had overtaken the area.

The lesser of these evils could feel it pierce their wayward souls like a poison drenched stinger. It was a dark feeling, the presence this albino beast was radiating. Somehow they could feel it in their hearts. His desire to hurt them, to kill them. To devour their flesh and make himself stronger. It was heavy, restraining. And when Anarchy took a step forward, they were all horrified to find they could not move. The poison jab of those eyes had paralyzed each of them, and that brought about a terrifying conclusion.

He was not trapped in here with them.

They were trapped in here with him.

"... Well?" They flinched when The Anarchist spoke. It was all they could do. They'd never heard his voice before, not like this. It was low, quiet. Forced their ears to hang on to every sound and the brain to pay attention. It was what some of them had imagined The Devil to sound like. Not distorted, not monstrous. Human, in all the wrong ways.

"What's the matter?!" Anarchy snapped, his step forward making the ring leader step back, bullets of iced sweat racing down his forehead. Everything behind Anarchy disappeared, replaced by a void of flickering, writhing darkness. They could almost see them, the worms. Gnashing their teeth hungrily, flicking disgustingly long tongues.

Anarchy's eyes were wide, flashing all of the horrors he'd seen right back on his prey. His grin encompassed the majority of his face, bared his fangs and made them fear his bite.

He leaned in, got right in the leader's face and ripped through his eyes with his own, making the man lean back while he trembled violently.

 ** _"YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK, ARE YOU?!"_**

In a flinch, a knee jerk reaction, the king of these pawns tried to bring up that pistol, put a shot in The Anarchist's stomach at point blank. Anarchy was faster however, grabbing his wrist in one powerful pincer and pushing it back down. In one swift motion he reached behind his prey's head, grabbing a fistful of his hair and yanking his head back before his head darted forward, ripping through his throat with his teeth and sending a waterfall of red gushing down his chest and into The Anarchist's thirsty maw.

This horrific sight woke the seven pawns from their stupor, made the three holding guns lift their pistols and take shaken pot shots at the scorpion. Anarchy held up the writhing and dying form of their king, using him as a meat shield and letting several bullets jam into his back while he yanked the gun out of his hand.

He aimed over his bleeding shield's shoulder, eyes locating his targets with killer precision, a kind of accuracy only one born to kill could perceive. Three bullets fired from his gun. Two blew apart the skulls of the gunman, and the third bullet rammed into the chest of the third shooter, piercing his heart and sending him tumbling to the ground with the corpses of his comrades.

Anarchy threw the leader's corpse to the floor, and one of the remaining four rushed forward, stabbing his knife right into The Anarchist's side, pushing it to its hilt. This made the beast snarl ferociously, those arachnid eyes landing on his prey while he dropped his gun, reaching out and grabbing the poor fool by the collar of his shirt.

Anarchy threw his free hand out to his side, sending his crowbar slipping from his sleeve and into his grasp. Without skipping a beat he swung, cracking through the skull of the lizard that had stabbed him. Just as The Anarchist dropped that corpse, another gunshot rang out, but he didn't feel the bullet pierce his thigh. He couldn't, not with all the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Not with the wonderful thrill that taking another life gave him.

He snarled, spinning on his heel and whipping his crowbar overhand at the goon who laid on his back, bullet wound in his chest. Anarchy's crowbar struck him square between the eyes, knocking something loose in his skull and sending his head dropping back limp onto the concrete.

Suddenly, the unmistakable rumbling of the large garage door of the warehouse resounded, and one of the pawns spun around with surprise to see it being pushed up. light flooded in around The Predator, who was shoving the door upwards to make her escape.

"She's getting away-!" Just as the pawn was distracted, Anarchy rushed from behind, gripping the back of his head and his face and viciously snapping his head around, twisting his neck like the cap of a water bottle and quickly earning a deathly snap from his brain stem.

Three more gunshots, three bullets embedded in Anarchy's back. He arched his spine from the impact, blood spewing up from between his jaws and adding to the crimson that already coated his chin. He snapped his jaws shut quickly however, spinning on his heel and ripping the knife from his side without hesitation. As he spun, he threw the knife on the same swing of his arm that came with him pulling it free. The switchblade raced through the air, its dagger-like point sticking right through the shooter's forehead and cutting his legs out from under him, making him drop dead the very next instant.

Gasping for breath, Anarchy winced, pausing for only a moment. This moment was all the last remaining pawn needed, darting forward and slashing rapidly across The Anarchist's back with his combat knife. Anarchy stumbled, grinding his blood soaked teeth as cut after cut lashed across his back in some frantic and vengeful strike. The poor bastard was trying to punish Anarchy instead of going for the kill.

With one primal roar The Anarchist spun around, grabbing the mouse by his wrist with one claw. He yanked the knife wielding hand aside, cocked back his free fist and hooked his leg behind the knee of his victim. He smashed a right hook into the man's face and pulled his leg back, sending the man tumbling onto his back with Anarchy on top of him.

Anarchy was vicious, snarling and frothing as he beat the man's face in with his right fist. The fool squirmed, cried out for mercy while Anarchy struck again and again, hand holding down his victim's knife wielding hand and knee pressed down on the forearm of his other arm. He punched over and over. Until pain raced up his arm from his knuckles, until the man's nose, front teeth, and orbital sockets gave way. When the mouse stopped its squirming, he yanked the knife from its hand and pulled it up over his head.

With a primal roar, he plunged the knife down, right through the cracked and bleeding forehead of his victim. The lights in those dying eyes went out instantly, his body twitching and convulsing with death throes before he finally ceased movement.

Chest heaving, Anarchy's head hung forward, hair falling around his his crimson painted face. The intensity slowly drained from his eyes, his expression softening while adrenaline faded away.

Gradually, he lifted his head, looking from the massacre he'd single handedly created to the wide open door of the warehouse. It opened to brighter lights, the possibility of a kinder world.

That was where Lexi had escaped to.

That was where Anthony could not follow.

 _... Be good, Lexi._ Anthony's eyes were half closed, his mouth hanging open with ragged breaths that ached going in and out. _Be better than me._

After another few moments of quiet and lonely contemplation, Anthony's eyes glossed over to where his crowbar lay.

This was no place to die.

Grunting with pain, Anthony pushed himself to his feet. He hobbled his broken body over to where his inheritance lay and scooped it from the ground. Leaning down hurt, but he refused to leave his only possession. Such a cursed item belonged with him, and him alone. He would take it with him to his grave.

... His grave.

The Anarchist lifted his head, one hand grasping the oozing gash on his side and the other hanging limp, gripping that crowbar tightly. He looked out to the light of the streets, and he knew where he had to die.

So he walked. Dragged his bullet punctured leg and forced his aching lungs to breath, his exhausted heart to beat.

Once he made it out of the warehouse, he shut his eyes and leaned his back against the front wall next to the doorway, taking a few deep breaths.

 _C'mon, it's not far. Keep moving._

He pushed himself from the metal wall, and he began to limp down the sidewalk. Though there was still daylight, it was likely the sound of gunshots had scared any bystanders away. This was a terrible place, heavy gang territory. The police didn't journey here and innocents didn't wander here.

So Anthony walked. Stumbled his way through the world, alone and dying. As he carried his corpse with a stubborn refusal of Death's offers to relieve his pain, the most ludicrous and silly thoughts pervaded his mind.

He pondered what it would have been like if him and Angel hadn't met. If Angel had been kind. If he'd befriended Lexi or Xander instead. if he'd befriended them all. Ridiculous notions, the things the four could have done in their childhood. The fun they would have had. If they had just become a family before they were all damaged, then perhaps...

Well. The Anarchist didn't deal in what ifs. For a bipolar schizophrenic, he kept himself well grounded in reality.

... Still. What a nice thought. A pleasant dream. Something that felt warm, even as his blood ran cold. As he looked upon the playground, he couldn't help but imagine four happy children, playing on the equipment. Chasing each other. Hiding and seeking.

Pale fingers wrapped around the gate of that chain link fence, the crimson liquid they were drenched in leaving smudged finger prints. He dragged his fingers over the metal, shoving the latch of the fence up before he batted the gate open with his hip.

... Bittersweet dreams now, in the cold reality of his impending demise.

He was going to die. The Bastard Son, Son of a Bitch. All his worthless birthright and all his worthless life concluding as it had began, alone.

"..." Anthony and Anarchy were silent as the memory faded away, silenced by the somber memories of their own death.

"... We have the option now." Anarchy finally spoke, nodding his head towards Anthony's shield. "We can live that dream. Undamaged and happy, we could be a family."

"..." Anthony's eyes glossed down to his shield, which he took in his hands, inspecting its every detail.

"We have three options Anthony. We can wake up. Go back to being a monster, we can step out of this Fountain and ERASE this world." Anarchy frowned, his expression unusually somber. "Or, we can die in here, let King's wound put us out of our misery."

"... Or, we can take back our identity, step out of this Fountain with our old power and stop King. We can seal the Fountain, and we can live in our perfect dream, even with all the memories of our agony." Anarchy's eyes narrowed, drifting to the floor. "... But it won't be real. And we'll know that. We'll know that Angel is still out there, the real one. We'll remember every terrible thing we've ever done."

"..." Anthony still didn't speak, squinting his red eyes and tightening his grip on his shield.

"I know how bad you want this, Anthony. And I told you that I don't hate you." Anarchy lifted his head, looking to his other half with a measure of care unheard of in his killer eyes. "I won't take this away from you if you don't want me to."

"... No." Anthony finally said, pain swimming in his ruby eyes as he stared into his shield. "Not like this."

"We don't deserve it." Anthony lifted his head, his expression hopeless and longing. "We can't just live this dream and pretend we were never awake. We were. And we did horrible things. Inhuman things."

"There just... Isn't a way to make up for that." Anthony lowered his head, shaking it slowly. "It would be a cop out now. It would be wrong. And... It would be a lie."

"We're a lot of things, Anarchy." Anthony stood, extending his hand out to his other half. "But a liar isn't one of them."

"So... You want to wake up?" Anarchy took Anthony's hand, being lifted to his feet and looking himself in the eye.

"I don't have any other choice." Anthony nodded once, DETERMINATION overtaking his expression.

"Hm." Anarchy smiled. It was bittersweet, but it was grateful. They would come together, and they would be true to themselves.

They were Anthony, and they were The Anarchist.

"Then it's time to leave the basement."

There was a shift in lighting. The shadows moved, watched carefully as the two became one. A single body stood, shield on one arm and crowbar in the other.

He turned his crimson eyes to the stairs, and he walked. His footsteps echoed, bounced along the stone walls. When his feet touched the crude wood of the steps, they groaned and whimpered pathetic pleas that The Anarchist did not hear.

He ascended, and one last time he jammed his crowbar into the door frame, shattering the wood and breaking the gate way open.

Blinding lights washed by, and reality shifted.

Heads and Tails, both free from the Fountain.

* * *

"COME, CHAOS INCARNATE! RETURN TO US, AND LAY WASTE TO THE LIGHTNERS' PATHETIC WORLD!"

Angel let go of King's ankle, being sent sliding on his side across the ground to the middle of the rooftop before the winds died down and he came to a stop.

There he laid, beaten and broken, with a clear view of the end of the world. His tears stopped flowing. Any emotion at all seemed to be crushed under the gravity of this moment. Of the sight before him.

This is how the world ends. Not sad, not desperate to survive. Just... Numb. Watching death race closer with cold eyes and an empty heart.

And in Angel's mind, only one thought could survive.

 _... We failed._

 _For Whom The Bell Tolls Instrumental_ by _Metallica_ began playing.

He grunted as he sat up, the magic spades having faded from his flesh, leaving bleeding gashes in his arms, legs, and back. He watched in terrifying awe as darkness began to spread from the peak of the black beam that fired into the sky.

The vantablack writhed in the sky above Angel, and he was sicked and disturbed when hundreds of giant eyes opened from the darkness, blood red irises staring down at the dark world below. The chaotic gaze of the eyes was only made more freakish when a mouth split in the darkness under each pair, slowly creeping up into a smile.

Angel's emerald eyes trembled, wide with shrunken pupils as each revolting face contorted. Eyes looked in different directions, cheeks puffed out like they were about to burst, and then...

 _ **"HAHA! HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"**_

The many dark mouths exploded open with hysterical cackling. Crimson eyes darted all over the place, went bloodshot while red tongues hung out past sharpened teeth. The laughter was ear piercing, all consuming. The faces looked like they were choking on their own giggles, wheezing and gasping for air in the milliseconds between their hysterics.

Angel could feel this darkness, deep in his heart. It terrified him, paralyzed him and made him cower before the inconceivable display before him. Not in his worst and most terrible nightmares had he ever imagined something like this.

"YES! BEAUTIFUL!" King cackled right along with the damned sky, throwing his head back and holding his arms out to his sides.

The pillar of darkness swirled and flared vibrantly, sending waves of power and gusts of wind blasting across the land. Angel and King both watched eagerly, with heavy anticipation as the front of the crucible began to shift, flicker.

Then, suddenly, one muddy sneaker stepped through, attached to legs covered by ripped jeans. With awe and horror the last two men standing at the end of the world watched The Anarchist step from his chrysalis.

He wore different clothes, his armor replaced by beat up jeans and a long sleeve black shirt with three red stripes. He was slouched, his hands halfway in his pockets and his mane of white hair shifting with the winds. He expressed nothing, his dead eyes locked right on King, who stood about eight feet in front of him.

"... Anny..?" Angel spoke in a whisper, fear and concern in his eyes as he watched his best friend return, uninjured and with a terrifying aura.

"Kneel before your master, Chaos Incarnate!" King ordered confidently, both of his mouths grinning wickedly, his arms still out at his sides.

"... Kneel?" Anarchy repeated, confusion dusting his expression as he slowly tilted his head to the side, like he really didn't understand.

"Yes!" Aggravation crept onto King's face, his arms lowering as his jaw clenched and he glared at Chaos Incarnate. "I brought you into this world! Kneel and obey me!"

"..." Anarchy was silent then. A sweet, loving smile graced his lips as he looked out at The King. Angel recognized that smile, its kindness had illuminated his life.

Suddenly, the pillar of dark power shifted, and one enormous bug-like pincer bursted free, King's breath catching in his throat and his blood freezing as it snatched him from the earth, lifting his large body like a feather as a curved tail ending in one massive stinger also slipped out from the Fountain.

"W-what are you doing?!" King exclaimed, blue in the face as he looked down at Anarchy, now hoisted many feet above him. "What is this?!"

King's eyes went wide with horror as he watched one giant scorpion head push from the vantablack before him, all seven of it's disgusting red eyes locking onto him. The Fountain was fading, being sucked into the body of this beast and taking the form of one titanic arachnid, big enough to devour King whole. Its pointed legs had to reach around the sides of the building, hooking into the stonework walls to keep the beast balanced on the rooftop.

"N-no! Wait! Stop!" King begged, flailing and struggling pathetically as The Scorpion slowly brought him closer to its snapping maw. "Not like this! Please! Anything but this!"

Anarchy held his arms out to his sides, wearing that loving smile and closing his eyes. He tilted his head back, King's sweet screams ringing beautifully in his ears as he was ripped and shredded in the hungry chelicerae of his familiar, the black beast of his shadow. King's blood poured from above as he was devoured, splattering over Anarchy, who couldn't have been happier.

Eventually King's screams stopped. The crunch of his bones disappeared. From the sky his white crown plummeted, clanging to the ground and bouncing, rolling across the floor. Maw now dripping with blood, the scorpion lowered its pincer, letting both of the vicious tools rest on the strained stone rooftop.

"Anthony..." Angel slowly climbed to his feet, haunted eyes not leaving The Anarchist. He held his limp right arm, sweat and blood dripping down his face from his grueling battle with the one who Anarchy just slaughtered like it was child's play.

"... I was asleep." Anarchy spoke calmly, that smile fading back to a blank expression as he lowered his head. Blood that was not his own ran in streams over his face. The sky ceased its giggling, now watching its master with twitchy, excitable eyes. "This was a dream."

"... Such a nice dream..." Anarchy smiled softly to himself, his eyes only half open.

Suddenly, his smile faded, and he lowered his head. The shadow beneath him lifted from the earth, slowly shaping and forming a rectangular button, with one word engraved upon it.

ERASE.

Anarchy narrowed his eyes at the button before him, the decision he had already made.

 **"But it's time to wake up."**

He pushed the button inward, and a pulse washed out from it, blasting over the land and into the distance in a matter of seconds.

Angel stood there, confused as the wave passed him. But when he looked around, he realized everything it has touched was fading, turning to green ones and zeros and dissipating into the nothingness that was left where it once was.

"No..." Angel slowly shook his head, looking around the crumbling world before him. His lunch rose in his throat when his eyes caught Lexi and Xander, who both lay unconscious. They, too, were quickly disappearing into green coding.

Just before he could rush to either one's side, however, Angel spotted his own hand, and a special kind of hopelessness overtook his expression as he watched numbers flicker from his finger tips, slowly but surely ERASING him.

 _For Whom The Bell Tolls_ faded out.

"Anny, no..." Angel's voice broke, KIND green eyes landing on his best friend. "Please, don't do this..."

Anarchy just watched Angel he approached, even though more code was streaming off of him. Some confusion came to Chaos incarnate's expression, not quite able to grasp the anguish on Angel's face.

"Please, Anny, everyone else I can handle, b-but..." Angel shook his head, tears filling his eyes as he fearlessly approached The Anarchist. "Anny you're all I've got..! You're all I've got and I never told you and I'm sorry!"

"Just please!" Angel lowered his head once he stood before his best friend, clenching his fading fists as tears streamed down his face. "Don't do this!"

"... Angel." A measure of care and remorse flickered in The Anarchist's expression, and he took a step forward, putting a hand on Angel's shoulder. "You were the best friend I've ever had. You were everything I needed my Angel to be."

"But... You aren't real."

"But I'm right here in front of you!" Angel snapped, grabbing Anarchy by the shoulders and staring into his ruby eyes with his tear filled emerald ones. "Isn't that enough for you?! Doesn't that make me real enough?!"

"..." Anarchy's hair shadowed his eyes, a frown clear on his face. "I'm sorry Angel. But..."

STAB.

"No. No it doesn't."

"G-... Guh..." Angel's eyes went wide and he hunched forward, blood beginning to dribble down his chin as he looked to the black spike that pierced his abdomen. It had fired from his own shadow.

"A-... Anny..." Angel sniffled, his weak legs giving out and making him lean against The Anarchist's chest. Anarchy tilted his head to the side, like he really didn't understand. "I... I don't wanna lose you..."

"..." Anthony furrowed his brows, slowly wrapping his arms around Angel to keep him from falling. His expression was soft with genuine confusion.

"... Please..." Angel's voice was choked, tears streaming down his face as he clung to his best friend. "... Please don't go..."

"... Angel, you're the one who's..." Anarchy trailed off, lifting his hand from Angel's back and examining the blood it was covered in.

"... I-I'm begging you... Don't... Leave me..."

"..." Anarchy's hair shadowed his eyes, and he slowly dropped to his knees with Angel, hugging him close to his chest. "... Shh... It's okay. I've got you. I'm here."

Angel seemed to relax, his dying eyes struggling to stay open as Anarchy held him.

"Just rest now, Angel... You're safe..." Anarchy's eyes narrowed painfully at the ground past Angel while he gently smoothed his hair with his blood stained hand. He spoke softly, with comforting kindness. "Close your eyes and go to sleep..."

"... T-thanks, Anny..." Angel spoke in little more than a whisper, but Anarchy caught every word. And Angel smiled, feeling warm and safe as his killer held him. "You're my... Best friend..."

"..." Anarchy lifted he head, looking out to the sky of self inflicted nightmares as his dream died in his arms. "... You're my best friend too, Angel."

Then, in barely a whisper.

"... Thank you for that..."

Anarchy's grip tightened on Angel when he went limp. When his arms unwrapped from The Anarchist and fell to the ground. His eyes burned from under the shadow of his hair, and though it was no longer raining after the Fountain had disappeared, a warm droplet cascaded down his face.

There he sat, for seconds or hours as the world disappeared. He hugged the body of his Angel for as long as he could, but eventually it too faded away.

This feeling was complex, and it was painful. But he was used to feeling those things, and knew there was no time for them now.

Anarchy climbed to his feet, and with his fist he wiped the tear from his face. Then, he threw his head back and sent the hair flipping out of his eyes, revealing a cold and unfeeling expression.

He was alone, in the inky blackness. The sky of giggling faces converged on one point, dripping down in a solid stream towards The Anarchist like some disgusting black liquid.

Anarchy reached up, let the slime of madness land in his open palm. There, it took shape. It formed and curved, condensing until it took the form of his inheritance. His crowbar.

His eyes glossed to the floor, and his brows furrowed when he spotted his shield. A sapphire blue, laying prone after it had fallen off of his sleeping form.

"... Huh." Anarchy spoke with minor interest, stepping on the corner of the shield and sending it flipping up, where he caught it on his arm. Another possession. He had two now.

His crowbar disappeared up his sleeve, and he strapped his shield onto his back. Then, he turned, looking up to his Scorpion. His Shadow, his LOVE. The giant creature stared down at him, unmoving and obedient. Darkness that The Anarchist had tamed, that his will had gained the respect of.

He reached out, and The Beast lowered it's head. He placed his pale hand just above its mouth, and it's seven eyes closed, it's body turning to the blackness of the Fountain and washing up Anarchy's sleeve. It swirled in thick streams, racing over him and draining into the red soul that flared brightly on his chest.

The darkness of Anarchy's LOVE blasted throughout his soul, but he closed his eyes with calmness and tranquility. Eventually the Scorpion disappeared back into The Anarchist, slipping into his wretched soul. For a moment, the left side of his soul was pitch black. The eerie shade of his shadow, of his Scorpion, of his LOVE.

But then his soul faded back into his chest, concealing its darkness from what was left of this world, which was looking to be nothing at all.

"Ay, Gaster, you there?" Anarchy lifted his head, looking up into the emptiness above himself. "I think we're done here."

Not a second passed before a portal opened at Anarchy's side, and he watched Badster humbly step through.

"Splendid job, Anarchy!" He grinned that crescent, pressing his hole punched hands together at his chest. "You did better than I expected!"

"Yeah, I'm a real over achiever that way, doc." Anarchy smirked in that unsettling way that had become his trademark.

"This test was of your will. I needed to know if your hatred for The Hacker could overpower your deepest desire." Badster stood tall, placing his hands behind his back and looking down to Anarchy with a pleased smile. "I needed to be sure that you could not be swayed, that your torment was strength, and could not be exploited as weakness."

"But... Just look at you!" Badster gestured to Anarchy with childlike excitement. "Not only did you prove the strength of your will, you made it stronger! Your DETERMINATION, your LOVE, your soul!"

"It's all grown exponentially! Somehow you're even _more_ unstoppable than you were before!" Badster bounced giddily, mind brimming with all the possibilities. "Oh I'm just so proud!"

"..." Anarchy smiled wickedly, looking down to his open palm. He slowly clenched his fist, watching shadows dance along his fingers and hand. **"Perfect."**

"... Hm. That's odd."

Anarchy looked up, furrowing his brows with confusion. He saw Badster looking across the void, and followed his eyes to find that King's ivory crown had survived the ERASE, still laying on its side across from him.

"What's that still doin' here?" Anarchy tilted his head, cocking a brow at the item.

"I don't know." Badster, too, looked puzzled. "It must have more importance than we realized, if it did not disappear."

"Huh." Anarchy stated blandly, before walking across the void towards the crown. He crossed the distance, his footsteps echoing in the nothingness before he reached the royal head wear. He leaned down, plucked it from the vantablack floor, and stood back up to inspect it.

"Now what use would The Bastard Son have for somethin' so fancy?" Anarchy's lips curled upwards with some amusement. He'd lived his life as a gutter rat, after all. The idea of being a king _did_ strike some kind of note inside him. On some level it stroked his ego.

 _"Heirs to the throne! Chaos's Crown could be your own!"_

 _King Anarchy._ Anarchy's smile grew, and he began to lift the pointed crown over his head. _Now **that** sounds regal. _

King of Chaos. How fitting, that it would be the Heir of Nothing, to Nothing, from Nothing to dawn the mantle. That it would be the least anticipated and the most chaotic choice.

"Uee hee hee!"

Anarchy's ruby eyes widened, feeling the crown snatched from his grasp just before it landed on his mop of snow white locks.

He spun around on instinct, and a metal clang resounded. Crowbar connected with Devilsknife, and Jevil flew back through the air from the force of the impact, the bells of his weapon jingling excitedly as he landed on his feet and skidded back away from The Anarchist.

"... You're the freaky little dude from the cage." Anarchy smiled wickedly, holding his crowbar out to the side as he watched Jevil carefully.

"You won the game!" The jester exclaimed excitedly, hopping from side to side. "I'm overjoyed! You've made it so far, far!"

"I don't care." Anarchy began walking fearlessly towards Jevil, white knuckled grip on his crowbar and white knuckled fist at his sides. "You should have disappeared with the ERASE."

"Your rules don't effect me!" Jevil pointed his scythe at the approaching Anarchist, haphazardly setting the crown onto his goofy hat, doubling down on head wear. "I said it before, I'm the only one who's free!"

"This doesn't make sense." Badster narrowed his cracked sockets, his jaw clenching. "You're just a piece of code that I edited with this timeline! You shouldn't know anything about Anarchy, and you should have been ERASED."

"A sinner playing God?" Jevil smiled chaotically, looking over his shoulder to Badster. "Such a small view, view! Don't you understand?"

"I am free!" At this point Anarchy darted forward, jaw clenching as he swung his crowbar at the distracted Jevil's head. The jester moved fast however, front flipping over Anarchy and placing a hand on his shoulder, springing over him and flipping to land on his feet, facing the two while he slid back. "I can do anything!"

"Jumpy little bastard, aren'tcha?" Anarchy narrowed his ruby eyes at the jester that had stolen his crown. He was furious of course, but still he smiled. The dancing monkey was amusing, after all. And every word that dribbled madly out past his lips was perfectly understood by The Anarchist.

"Now you and me are both free!" Jevil grinned from ear to ear, once more pointing his wicked blade at The Anarchist. "Birds of a feather, one plus one makes three!"

"That's a nice thought." Anarchy spoke sarcastically, pointing his crowbar out towards Jevil and narrowing his eyes. "Now fork over the crown and take your beating."

"Uee hee hee!" Jevil jumped back into the air, and Anarchy's jaw clenched as he saw the jester float there, suspended in mid air and clapping his feet together. "If you really believe you are the heir to Chaos's Crown, you will have to hunt me down, down!"

Anarchy pursed his lips, crimson eyes analyzing this foe. After a momentary scan of his feelings towards the jester, he came to a conclusion and he made a decision.

"... What's your name?" Anarchy spoke after a moments thought, watching Jevil's every move carefully.

"I'm glad you asked." Jevil's lips curled in a knowing smile, a portal ripping open in reality behind him. "Jevil is my name, Chaos is my game!"

"Alright, Jevil." Anarchy's expression formed a similar smirk, his ruby eyes narrowing. "I'll play your game."

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Jevil exclaimed excitedly, slowly slipping back into the portal behind him, which was already beginning to close. "I expected nothing less of you, you!"

And then, just as he disappeared, a prophecy.

"Come after me, and everyone will see, a world of complete and utter devastation!"

"Apologies, sir Anarchy!" Badster raced humbly to Anarchy's side, The Anarchist turning his head to arch a brow at his assisting doctor. "I have no idea how he did any of that, he shouldn't have survived the ERASE, he shouldn't have-"

"Yeah, you wouldn't get it, doc." Anarchy lifted one hand, silencing Badster. "It's fine. I'll handle it soon."

"For now, I've got some questions." Anarchy's expression hardened then, a frown creasing his face. "I was out for awhile, right?"

"Several days, yes." Badster nodded dutifully, his hands behind his back.

"So, tell me." Anarchy smiled, though his teeth ground together. Those his grip tightened on his crowbar. He had been asleep for so long, he was dying to be updated on the state of reality.

 **"What's Hacker been up to?"**

* * *

 **I'm so super excited to see what you guys thought of this chapter so pls review I will give you head pats-**

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	26. Chapter 26: Across Time And Space

**Thanks go to Monkey D. Chimera, Zack Frost, Skele, 10burgers, Gray Kanzakai, fergusans18, Fophelia1331, WhoWritesThisCrap, Wingah, Linki, Genowar, Jack54311, ILoveUrWriting, NBoss01, and Infinity Soul.**

 **Linki I almost misspelled your name as Kinki and I thought you should know.**

 **On to the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _God damn it!_

Haggard green eyes darted from side to side, strands of black hair falling haphazardly over his forehead, which was detailed with the occasional stream of sweat.

Under the overcast sky he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, landing on dress shoe covered feet before jumping again. His black shoes were matched with black dress pants and the black vest over his white button up shirt, which had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked tired, bags sunken in under his emerald eyes. On his face was unmanaged five o'clock shadow, giving him the look of someone in his mid thirties.

This sleepless expression of his was jarring when compared to the bright set of seven pens that wrapped in bands around his left wrist like a makeshift bracer. They were a rainbow of seven different colors. Cyan, orange, blue, purple, green, yellow, and red.

But what stuck out the most about this individual was not his fancy clothes despite his precarious position or his exhausted eyes or even his strange choice in wrist wear, but the golden crown with a red jewel at its center that laid crooked upon his head. That, and the long black spear he grasped tightly in his right hand, which came to a silvery steel blade.

His jaw clenched, ear catching footsteps behind him. In an instant the panda eyed king spun around, whipping that spear through the air at a stunning speed back towards his chaser.

The chaser was mid jump between rooftops, his hateful green eyes narrowing at the approaching strike from his prey. He was a young man with a head of messy brown hair, stuck up and pointed like a coyote preparing to strike. He looked to be somewhere around a decade and half younger than his opponent, and wore dark blue jeans with a black, red striped T shirt. The young man had many names, that was something the king knew well. But in the dark path he had chosen, he'd decided to go by an old title: The Hacker.

Ink whipped down Hacker's arm, and he slashed the stream out towards the approaching spear, clashing with it and sending it flinging back through the air, spinning on an arch and dropping back down towards The King.

The King landed on one large stone rooftop, sliding back some on his feet and reaching up, catching his spear from the air as it dropped down towards him. He spun his weapon, before taking up a fighting stance and pointing its blade out towards The Hacker, who landed across from him.

"Get lost, brat." There was venom on the king's tongue as he squinted irritably at his attacker, standing ready for his next strike. "I don't have time to babysit you punks."

"You really aren't happy to see us?" Hacker furrowed his brows, smirking devilishly as he tilted his head. "That hurts, your Highness."

The king's eyes widened as another young adult of a human launched from the shadows behind him, racing up from the ally and over the building. As they plummeted down towards him they yanked their knife overhead, the wind tugging at their green and yellow striped shirt and throwing back their auburn hair.

"We were _elated_ to meet you, after all!"

The king growled as this knife-brandishing Demon raced closer, spinning on his heel and preparing to stab out at his assailant, when his spear was restrained, black fluid wrapped tightly around its base in dark tendrils. His tired emerald eyes darted over his shoulder, watching Hacker lunge towards him and throw his arm out to the side, manifesting his own spear from his ink.

The king snarled as the two neared him with murderous strikes, before light shun from the emerald pen around his wrist, and an orb of KIND green force exploded out around him, slamming into the two humans that aimed to murder him and throwing them back through the air.

As the two were stunned, the king took his opportunity, reaching out with his left hand while the sphere of energy disappeared from around him. A light blue energy shined from his pen bracer as he opened his palm to The Hacker, and a PATIENT aura of the same shade suddenly encased him, restraining him in mid air.

The king tossed up his spear, catching it with one cocked back right arm and whipping it right through the trapped Hacker, who's green eye snapped open wide in agony. The spear ripped through his abdomen, sending crimson splattering in puddles on the stonework below him while the same red shade spewed up from between his lips.

Without skipping a beat the king pulled back his outstretched hand and balled it into a fist, the glow of his pen bracer shifting from cyan to dark blue. The Hacker's soul did the same, and as the PATIENT light disappeared from his body he was yanked forward.

Deep scowl on his face, the king grabbed the handle of his spear and brought The Hacker to an abrupt stop, jarring him and making even more agony explode across his expression. Eyes that were usually cold and murderous were wide an blurred, twitching with agony.

His voice a low growl, the king leaned in close to his impaled foe before speaking.

 **"Get the hell out of my timeline."**

He spun then, whipping Hacker from his spear and at the still recovering Demon, who had just sat up across the roof. Hacker collided with them, startling them and sending the both of them skidding back across the cement.

The Demon growled, getting to one knee and holding The Hacker in their arms, crimson eyes darting between their partner in crime and their latest adversary. It was immediately apparent that they would have to retreat, as they judged by the watchful eye of the king, like a cobra waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Lets... Bounce, Chara..." Hacker's voice cut through, getting The Demon's attention and making them look down to his face. His jaw was clenched, blood dribbling down his chin and cold sweat pouring down his face. "We're gonna... Need a better game plan for this guy..."

"..." The Demon narrowed their eyes with frustration, lifting their head back to look at the king. He was on guard, poised to strike, but he hesitated. There was a glimmer of something in his eyes as he looked upon them, but The Demon found it unreadable at the moment. They had bigger fish to fry. Each second was precious now, they had to escape back to the void and get Hacker the opportunity to heal himself with an item. "... Right."

They stood, lifting The Hacker while a portal opened behind them. The king watched them, white knuckled fingers wrapped around his spear. He knew he should strike them while they were weak. But, malevolent as The Demon's expression was, it served an eerie reminder. A past failure that haunted him, kept him from taking their life.

So they smiled, reveling in his weakness as they disappeared back through their portal, the both of them knowing it was likely things would not go this way a second time.

"See you soon, your Highness."

His emerald eyes narrowed furiously as they disappeared, and slowly he exhaled from between his lips, his body releasing some of its tension. He let his spear disappear into his inventory, turning and walking to the edge of the rooftop.

He reached into his vest, staring out at the smoldering chunk of Ebbot City him and the Bad End Chara-Cter team had left in their wake. Lucky for his subjects, their ruler had managed to keep property damage to a minimum. Some scorched sidewalks, a few destroyed dumpsters, an overturned car and one smashed wall of a storefront. There hadn't been any casualties, thank god. The two murderers had just wanted a challenge it seemed, so the king had managed to keep their attention while his people escaped the district. That was good. After the last killer to strike this city, Monsters were an endangered species.

... The last killer.

He retrieved a silver item from his vest, a flask half empty. His eyes not leaving the dying Kingdom that had been left in his hands, he unscrewed the cap and let the pungent odor of alcohol reach into the air. He turned the flask upside down, gulped its contents down without hesitation, and made another attempt at drowning his regrets. It did little, as per usual. A band-aid on a mortal wound. But, it helped him gather his thoughts and chilled his nerves. He supposed that was enough.

As he lowered his flask and began to screw the cap back onto it, he made some quick witted decisions. He would announce a state of emergency and herd the Monsters into the evacuation zone under the castle until the enemy was dealt with. Then... He would need to enlist help. He was the newly crowned King of the Monsters, and was also their only protector after one traitorous heir had decimated the police force and the Royal Guard. A traitorous heir that was still on the loose and likely planning some unspeakable next move. He didn't have time to be hunting some brats from the past.

"Frisk? C Frisk? I know you're here." He called out into the empty district of Ebbot City, tucking his flask back from where he'd retrieved it while he glanced around. After a moment of searching, he realized two grey little legs were dangling over his chest, and looked up to find one weightless, untouchable monochromatic child sitting on his shoulders. At least, it looked that way. He couldn't feel them there, their form was but an illusion, and it chose to manifest in the space just behind his head.

"You managed to run them off." C Frisk spoke, smiling politely down at the king. "Thank goodness."

"Yeah. Thanks for the heads up that they were comin'." He said gratefully, and Frisk nodded their acknowledgement. "But I need another favor."

"Hm?" Frisk tilted their head, before popping out of existence, suddenly standing in front of the king. This frame skip in reality didn't seem to phase him, however, and he looked down to them calmly. "What is it, Cter?"

"I need someone to handle those little bastards." His emerald eyes narrowed seriously, adding to his stressed wrinkles. "You n' me both know I got too much shit goin' on to play cat and mouse with two highly trained killers."

"Cter, I feel for your plight, but..." C Frisk hesitated, shaking their head. "The Omega is not a military barracks. I don't just have fighters willing to come fight to the death for a timeline they've never heard of, I have refugees traumatized by the horrors that stole their homes from them."

"Don't gimme that shit, Frisk!" Future Cter snapped irritably, those green eyes igniting with the nasty emotions that plagued his tired soul. The sudden tone shift made Frisk jump, their black hole eyes widening with surprise.

"I know you, Frisk! I know you do a little more than run a big refugee camp." Future stomped closer to the grey scale ghost, looming over their form and glaring down at them. "You've got plans, you've got contingencies, you've got important people under your watchful eye and I know you've got a peacekeeper layin' around somewhere, don'tcha?"

"..." Frisk hesitated, narrowing their eyes and lowering their head. Future's words were true, they did have more in the works than they lead on. As for peacekeepers, the ones they had in the past were growing more obsolete with the invasive species that was the 21 DoubleTale Kids. But...

 _"It means I'm the King._

 ** _So_ _kneel."_**

They _did_ have a new one in the works. And though they'd kept their intervening subtle and left him to his own devices in hopes that they wouldn't need him...

 _ **"But it's time to wake up."**_

... With every devastating move from The Anarchist, it was becoming more and more apparent that their secret weapon might be the multiverse's only chance. But if Cter The Hacker was going to stop Anthony The Anarchist, then he needed to be stronger. He needed to shatter another glass ceiling.

... He needed another test.

"Alright, alright!" C Frisk held up their hands defensively, raising their head back to Future. They took a deep breath in one last moment of contemplation, before gulping down their inhibitions. Their eyes narrowed, understanding the gravity of their next actions full well.

"... I've got a guy."

 **DOUBLETALE: SEASON 3**

 **Chapter 26: Across Time And Space**

 _"Long time no see, huh?"_

* * *

 _Boing! Boing! Boing!_

Oh paddle ball. Truly my greatest adversary in the past six months. But even the illusive rubber ball and the cheap wood of the paddle were no match for my expert hand-eye coordination, and after more hours of training than I would care to admit, the wood, the rubber, and the string all submitted to my will.

Truly, I have evolved to a level of power undreamed of. Now, in my conquest up the mountain path, my once terrifying adversary bounced repeatedly and skillfully back and forth with the flick of my wrist. Not once did the ball shift its course, always being pulled right back on its string to the center of the paddle, only to be slapped right back into the air, then tugged back, and the process continues.

... So things have been pretty boring since we freed the monsters and saved the timeline, if you couldn't guess. Uneventful enough for me to become an expert in an obsolete game like this.

It'd been six months since I cheated death, came to terms(ish?) with my past, got my serial killer buddy to chill the fuck out, and I guess became a demi-god living legend? Now I play paddle ball.

... Okay I don't just sit on my ass. I actually keep myself pretty busy, what with helping Monster Society develop and integrate back into the rest of the world, keeping up a social life, occasionally helping Gaster out with sciency stuff, and training just encase another Error Level (Or higher) cataclysm comes knocking.

Perhaps that's what was leaving me feeling unfulfilled: the preparations. Gaster was always warning me to stay vigilant, that the multiverse is a dangerous place and that having killed Error could have drawn unwanted attention to our happy home. But this constant preparation made me feel like I was waiting, just going through the motions until my next epic battle. After awhile, it started to strip the meaning out of a normal life. Made me feel like the past six months had just been filler, like I was just killing time until my next monumental face off.

I would have thought that the power I achieved when I got my wings - that form, Archangel I called it (Get it? 'Cause my name's Angel? Eh? Eh?) - would have been enough to stop anything that would come my way.

 _"Who are we to deny a death wish?"_

... Well, almost anything. But it was hard to believe there were monstrosities as powerful as Character lurking in the dark of the void. Against someone like Error, and we hardly had to lift a finger. That's an inhuman level of strength.

Now, these days, with all my training and my Archangel form, I'm sure I could handle Error in a one v. one. I'm honestly not even sure if it'd be close. But something as powerful as Character would kick my teeth in one on one. So I guess that fusion has become a pinnacle in my head. Certainly the strongest thing I've ever seen. Er, been, I guess.

But Gaster, the way he talks gives me anxiety. It's like he thinks there are just Characters out there left and right, and that any day now one could knock on our front door. It's concerning, because paranoia isn't like G. Skepticism and preparation, for sure. But not paranoia.

... I've started thinking he knows about something I don't. Like he isn't preparing me for a what if, but a when. But, why wouldn't he tell me if that was the case? What reason would he have for keeping something like that from me?

So I guess my anxious theory didn't really hold up. I trusted Gaster, and he trusted me. I'm sure his reasons are less complex than I realize, and I'm overthinking it.

 **WARNING: PIT FALL AHEAD**

Oh, I'm here.

I opened the gate of the metal fence recently constructed around the drop into the Ruins, and stepped to the edge of the massive hole. At said edge, there was one incredibly long steel ladder bolted into the stone of the wall leading up to the opening.

I scoffed with amusement at the over the top and grueling task that the ladder represented. We'd offered to build an elevator of sorts to make traveling from their Ruins home back to the surface to visit their friends and family easier, but Chara and Asriel had declined. Something about all that construction interfering with Asriel's garden. Go figure.

Lucky for me...

Ink slipped up from my hoodie, reaching behind my back to my shoulder blades, where little zippers were located. The thin streams of ink wrapped around the zippers, before pulling them down, opening the metal teeth enough for more ink to elegantly filter through. After one quick moment, my wings had spread wide behind me, and I hopped right down into the Underground.

* * *

 _Beep... Beep... Beep..._

Cold, analytical eyes narrowed up at the skeleton in a jar. Once a proud and formidable thorn in The Gatherer's side, now floating in glowing green goop on a whim of one of the 'glitches' he had hated so.

If Gatherer hadn't been so aggravated by Error's previous disrespect towards him, he might have felt pity for the photo negative, half dusted puppeteer in the tank before him. he looked like one of those book fair toys, the aliens in the test tubes of slime. Wires ran from the metal seal atop the vat, connected to Error's head in multiple places, along with his sternum, and the two ribs he had left after The Hacker and his Chara had brutalized him.

Truly, Gatherer had been furious with Error after he had so boldly walked right into his office and made his demands. Information is what the puppeteer had wanted six months ago, on the man who would kill him several days later. He didn't like being taken out of control like that, didn't enjoy being at another's mercy.

Now Error's wrong would be righted. In his state of unconsciousness he would be reconditioned, and once Gaster and his other scientists figured out how to save his shattered body, he would be a valuable asset. But these were plans for later. A project on the back burner until he had a full understanding of the fire he was playing with, lest he burn his empire to ash.

His empire, that was the main focus. What a trial getting it off the ground had been, but once he'd spread his influence into the gutters of the multiverse, he'd found plenty of weak minds to shape. On a small and powerful team he had built the foundation, and from there pieces had began falling into place on their own.

Ne'er-do-well's and do-gooders alike believed in The Gatherer's cause, especially in the mass hysteria that his kind was causing. Criminals prey to The Predator, hero's dust under The Anarchist's foot. Pillars of strength on every end of the spectrum were crumbling, and in this fear and uncertainty The Gatherer was a beacon of hope.

Who in their right mind would want to wander the dark with those beasts on the prowl, when they could unite under one powerful banner? He was one of the good ones, they thought. He had all of the power of those other twenty creatures that terrified them, but he wished to unite them, keep them safe in these trying times.

So long as they obeyed The Gatherer, there was no Anarchist, no Predator, no Hacker who could hurt them. Frightened souls really are the easiest to control. And from them Gatherer had molded an army of devouts, all ready to die in his name.

 _What a time to be alive._ His lips curved upwards into his winning smile. That's what he had begun with, his wit and a convincing smirk. An upstart brat once, now a man with control over the infinite in his reach. So long as he didn't lower his arm, kept grasping to the sky, everything would be his.

"That's a real pretty smile for what you're staring at."

Gatherer's eyebrows raised as a voice jarred him from his thoughts, and he turned his head from Error's half dead half alive form to his companion, still reeling from his thoughts.

A Bravery Soul, Gatherer's right hand man. Originally having fallen into the Underground to be slain by Asgore, Cliff was a cut above his counterparts. He had survived the Underground, and he had found his way out into the multiverse. He had been one of the first to dedicate himself to Gatherer's cause, and for the past six months he'd been his body guard and his teacher in the ways of battle.

Cliff was a large man, Gatherer's age but several inches taller than him and with a noticeable and threatening amount of muscle. A gorilla of a man who wore a black T-shirt and pants, with a bandanna wrapped around his forehead. He certainly had the look of a body guard.

"What're you thinkin' about that's making you all happy?" Cliff smiled in a way that was stunningly friendly for his imposing form. This helped shake Gatherer from his stupor, and his smirk returned as his eyes drifted back to all the work before him.

"... Prosperity."

* * *

Predator had seen plenty of stunning things, both before coming to the Undertale Multiverse and now. But an interdimensional cargo train, now that sparked a special kind of child-like wonder.

Gatherer's empire was getting bigger, and he wasn't about to create a god even with the human souls at his disposal. Gods were too big a liability, for now it would be easier for him to pick up and move to a timeline that had access to the surface. Predator was sure a whole lot of work had went into setting all this up, and if she was as ignorant as she'd been in the past, she might have bought into all of her former "friend"'s BS.

 _"I'm going to make an opening, and you are going to run."_

... But those days were over.

In a past life, she'd been a coward. In this life, she'd been given another chance. She knew the difference now between Xander and herself. Her wants were small. She had just wanted a life of her own, and to be able to live it in her own unique way. Xander, however, wanted everything.

Her simple dreams had made her do bad things to people who weren't always deserving. Align herself with people who weren't always good. A coward and a fool she'd been, and now she stood with a band of pirates to siege an empire. To atone for her sins, and to prevent those more innocent than her from being tricked into following in her footsteps by The Gatherer's wicked smile and worm tongue.

So there she prowled, The Predator lurking in the inky blackness of the void as that train rumbled below, stretching into the distance from a rift in one reality before disappearing into another wide open portal over the empty horizon.

"So, cowboy," Predator's contemplative funk disappeared with the thrill of the hunt, and she turned her head to flash her wild grin at the young man that stood next to her. "You looks like you know a thing or two about train robbing."

The Justice Soul smirked lightly at that, the shadow of his cowboy hat covering his eyes. Another human soul that'd proven a cut above the rest and survived the Underground, unlike the majority of his counterparts. These kids came in all shapes and sizes, but this particular Clover was a man about Predator's age. He wore faded blue jeans and a flannel shirt under his poncho. Brown leather holsters held a revolver on each of his hips, and a rifle was strapped across his back. His eyes usually remained hidden under the shadow of his hat, but he reached up, pushing up the corner of his hat with his index finger and revealing one golden eye with that same predatory glimmer in it.

"I reckon Pa taught me a thing 'er two." Clover hinted, smirk remaining as he lowered his hand, concealing his accurate eye once more.

Predator grinned at that, giving herself the air of a madwoman while she threw her arm out to the side. She opened her hand, and her trademark oversized scythe appeared in her grasp, its blade chilled with frost.

"Then lets go wild west on these podunks."

* * *

A good girl is a quiet girl. That had been mother's philosophy, which she'd engraved into her poor victim daughter.

Poor, weak little Aliza. Hungry, alone, and afraid. The only thing that kept her attention from the terrifying, shifting shadows along the cracked and mossy purple brick was the regrettable memories of her descent into this living Hell. Peer pressure had played on her social anxieties, and her 'friends' had talked her into climbing the Mountain in their malevolence. She was a laughing stock to them, easy prey. How she hated them, how she had wanted to scream in the past and how she wanted to scream now. But...

A good girl is a quiet girl.

A mental blockade prevented her from releasing her fury, her sorrow, or her hatred. Not a peep, not to speak unless spoken to. Even now, alone in a Horrific world. A realm dead and abandoned it seemed, littered with dust and cobwebs. The most lively thing was Toriel, the Goat Aunt who had left her here to wait. Like a good girl.

And the protecting goat monster that had guided her this far was not entirely comforting. There was a presence about her, a darkness in her soul. Aliza had picked up a keen sense for those kind of things in a person from those who had tormented her. She knew the difference between an attacker and a bystander, and she was growing more and more fearful that Toriel was the former.

Fearful. That was the word that described her. Poor little Aliza, knees to her chest and brown hair falling over her face. In the center of the Ruins she was hidden away in a fearful ball, wishing her violet dress would protect her from the world. From the hungry, slithering shadows. Worms they were, gnashing their teeth whenever her sad, abandoned puppy eyes weren't laying upon them. She supposed she could relate to that hunger. After all, the only thing she had to nourish her frail body were her anxieties and bottled emotions. And that did little but to add a sour flavor to her dry mouth.

"Well aren't you just the most pathetic thing I ever did see!"

A voice jarred her completely, made her jump. She was a skittish thing after all, and those words seemed to have shouted from nothingness. There had been no footsteps, no sensing of any kind of presence to alert Aliza that she would be so suddenly addressed, and by such a foreign voice.

But when she lifted her head, and her brown eyes met his red ones, she most certainly felt a presence. An overpowering aura, a darkness that melted all other fears she had away and made her whole body freeze like she'd just been dealt a mortal wound. She had felt fear for as long as she could remember. It was the trait that defined her wimpy soul and her worthless life.

But as she looked upon his white face, saw those sharp teeth with that maniac smile, found herself under the glare of those two blood moons he called eyes, she felt a terror beyond terror. This stranger in the darkness, he was pure dread wearing human skin. Pale like a corpse but surviving on the desire to kill.

She thought her life had been spared when she fell. But she was certain now that she had died, and for her cowardly sins she'd been sent to hell. Now the devil was gracing her with his horrifying presence.

"... What?" The Anarchist's eyebrows furrowed as he loomed over her, shadows slipping over his face like black rain. "Is there somethin' in my teeth?"

Aliza couldn't speak. She wasn't sure if her heart was able to beat under the crushing weight of this... _Thing_ that had manifested from the dark. So she stared, ice in her veins, her eyes wide and her shrunken pupils trembling like the rest of her body. She was staring her demise in the face it felt, and that dreadful feeling made sweat pour down her forehead. Made her whole body twitch and convulse with energy to flee. But she was trapped, a fly in a web, struggling pathetically under the weight of The Anarchist's presence.

"Aww, c'mon... What's with that look?" Anarchy reached out, bold and unhesitating. He took her chin gently in his finger tips, forcing her to lift the head she'd kept down her entire life and look right into the glowing red eyes that choked her. He put on a smile that was deceivingly friendly, and he tilted his head.

"Aren't you relieved to see a friendly face in such a horrifying tale?"

* * *

 _Knock knock knock..._

I stood in waiting for only a few seconds, listening to footsteps quickly approach the door before watching the nob turn.

"Howdy, Cter!" One fluffy goat boy greeted me, opening the door and stepping aside to let me into the Ruins home.

"Howsit goin', Asriel?" I smiled over to him in a friendly way as I stepped by, turning around to face him while he closed the door.

"Things have been good!" Asriel nodded while we walked, making our way from the entrance towards the living/dining room. "Did you see on the way in? The echo flowers started coming in!"

"Yeah, I was surprised those would grow out here." I stuffed my hands in my pockets, looking over to Asriel as we walked.

*What's really surprising is that the guy who was tormented for years in the body of a flower has taken up an interest in gardening.

Eugh... Texty don't talk too much these days. There ain't exactly as many evil temptations for him to try to sell me on lately, so his yap stays shut for days at a time. And that's fine by me. Now he usually only speaks up when it's to say something nasty.

"I just put a lot of extra water in their plot to make it muddy, and they hold up just fine." Asriel waved a hand dismissively. "I think they're a fun way to make a reminders for chores n' stuff, too!"

"Well that's cool." I nodded my agreement as we entered the dining/living room. The area had changed some since Asriel and Chara had moved in. Above the fire place a TV was mounted, and the kitchen table was vertical to the wall at the end of the room, giving space for the two couches at the back of room, one against the wall opposite to the TV and the other vertical at that couch's side, it's back to the room's entrance.

The two certainly kept themselves busy down here. The Ruins looked a little more homey every time I visited, what with Asriel's gardening and Chara permanently shutting down traps and puzzles. Doors remained open, spikes were removed, pitfalls were bridged over.

Speaking of Chara, they hadn't looked up from the table at the far end of the room, where they seemed to be scribbling with growing frustration onto a sheet of paper. The only time they lifted their head was to glance at the very same ink flower I'd dropped on their grave some six months ago, which was now alone in a water-less vase as the center piece of the table.

I smirked with some amusement at their focus, making my way casually across the room to the table. I stood there silently, arching a brow at their bangs, which were pulled together by a hair tie to keep them out of Chara's eyes while they drew. It looked a little silly to me, however, appearing like a unicorn horn of auburn hair.

Deciding to play a game, I reached out slowly, pulling back one finger with my thumb to flick the hair-horn.

"I'll make you eat that hand."

I chuckled as Chara responded without lifting their head, pulling my hand away from them and crossing my arms. "Oh, so you do know I'm here?"

"I felt a disturbance." Chara's eyes darted to that flower, narrowed suspiciously, then darted back to the paper.

"In the Force?" I cocked a brow, tilting my head to the side.

"In my peace of mind." Chara responded with dry sarcasm, amusing me further as I pulled a chair out from the space across from them.

"Very funny." I plopped down into the chair, slouching lazily. "Whatcha up to?"

"I'm trying to get back into drawing. Thought this flower would be easy. Ready to dive into Hotland's lava pits." Chara spoke quickly and concisely, matching their concentration on the paper.

"That bad, huh?" I snerked, looking over their hand and to their drawing. "I don't see any problem with it myself, but I'm not too artsy."

*You literally made the thing that they're drawing.

Two snide comments in a five minute span? Today must be really special.

"... Alright." Chara took a deep breath, shutting their eyes and quickly standing from the table. "I can't stare at that flower anymore. Lets go spar."

"Wha- already?" I recoiled, eyebrows raising with surprise as I looked up at them. "You don't wanna chill out first?"

"I've been sitting in a wooden chair all day. I need to move around or I'm going to go insane." Chara frowned down at me, before walking past and exiting the living room.

I watched them disappear down the staircase to Snowdin forest, before glancing over to Asriel, who grimaced and shrugged sheepishly.

"They've been kinda moody today." He explained, shaking his head. "I don't know what's up with them. Maybe sparring with you will help."

*Don't count on it.

I don't like Texty, that's why I shot him in the head that one time. But when you're right you're right. If anything, seeing the gap that had formed between our powers only ever aggravated Chara more. They're the second strongest person in the timeline, but no matter how hard they try they haven't been able to catch up with me. We're on equal footing until I go into Archangel. In that form I'm always a step or two ahead.

When it comes to getting stronger, they see me as a rival. And that's fine. I see them the same way. I respect Chara, I know that they're strong. That's why I train with them, because I know my chances of defeating whatever bad dudes have G so paranoid double if I've got them in my corner.

But, Chara's relationship with fighting had changed a lot over the past half'a year. It must've been confusing, going from getting stronger to kill to doing so to protect. I couldn't imagine how they're feeling or what they're thinking, and as a friend that was concerning.

Cold winds gusted down the basement hallways, and I winced some as I came to the entrance into Snowdin. The large doors hung wide open, and where purple brick met white snow Chara stood, staring out into the cold with their back to me.

 _Oh boy..._ I grimaced as I watched them, before shutting my eyes and taking a deep breath. _... I'll ask 'em what's up after this._

We made our way out into the forest, and eventually Chara turned on their heel to face me, signifying that we'd traveled far enough out.

"Alright." Chara gestured to me, expression not expressing much. "Power up."

"Huh? Already?" I asked skeptically, furrowing my brows suspiciously. "Don't you wanna, I dunno, warm up a bit first?"

A frown tugged down Chara's expression, and they held their hand out to their side, a knife appearing in their grasp. "I'm ready to go."

 _Man, they really **are** in a funk today... _This all concerned me. I can't say I wanted to fight much, really I didn't intend on sparring at all today. But I also knew there was no way Chara would talk about whatever is bugging them if I didn't.

So I bent my elbows, squared my footing, clenched my fists, and that crimson aura exploded to life around me. Snow melted under my feet, being blown away from the winds of my power as my wings spread from my back. Then, red flames burst to life over my left eye, and my aura slowly dissipated.

Chara watched with eyes that were unusually cold for them these days, hands white knuckled and jaw clenching. Whether it be wrath, envy, or some other unpleasant and confusing emotion that clouded their mind, I couldn't be sure.

 ***A whole other level.**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	27. Chapter 27: Throughout Space And Time

**Thanks go to Zack Frost, 10burgers, Wingah, NovaAwakening, Genowar, JakeGetsFrisky, Jack54311, Linki, and NBoss01.**

 **Linki I really thought it was hilarious that you felt the need to review and say Sans is in Smash lmfao. I now main him.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

. . .

Anarchy furrowed his brows at Aliza's dumbfounded face, a silence permeating the Ruins. He waited with growing impatience for a response, but she was paralyzed. So she just stared up at him with those terrified eyes. He thought she might vomit if this staring contest continued, so he let go of her chin and took a step back.

"Hey uh, you can talk, right?" Anarchy cocked a brow, tilting his head to the side with his question.

Aliza was too frightened to speak. She was afraid she would say something wrong, and that this creature's darkness would eat her alive. So she just kept staring, trembling, and sweating.

"Oh for Christ's sake..." Anarchy tilted his head back and reached up, rubbing his eyes with his index finger and thumb. This show of irritation immediately set a further paranoia in Aliza, fear that her silence had aggravated The Anarchist.

This fear and paranoia was amplified when she watched one red crusted crowbar slip from Anarchy's sleeve, being caught swiftly in his ivory fingers.

"Alright, I guess I'll have to think of a _different_ different way to do this timeline!" Anarchy groaned, letting his hand drop from his face and hang limp with his other arm. "What a pain..."

"W-wait!" Aliza's voice blasted up and out of her throat, louder than it had been in years. "I can talk, I can talk!"

". . ." Anarchy's ruby orbs slowly drifted down to Aliza's desperate and fearful eyes. She held her breath for seconds that felt like hours, before that crowbar was swiftly flicked back up Anarchy's sleeve, and he smiled in a way that would have been bright if he wasn't so dark. "Well why didn'tcha just say so?!"

Aliza flinched, scooting her body against the wall behind her as Anarchy crouched down to be at eye level with her. She turned her head, only able to look upon him with one eye. She was terrified to look into those red orbs and peer into the twisted soul beneath. But to break eye contact would be rude, and a good girl is always polite and respectful. Especially to people that can rip them in half with their bare hands.

"Congratulations, random stranger!" Grinning wide and shutting those eyes that straggled Aliza so, Anarchy tilted his head happily to the side and placed one hand on his chest.

"Because I, The Anarchist, am your new best friend!"

 **Chapter 27: Throughout Space And Time**

 _*How pathetic, this form of you._

* * *

"... Best... Friend..?" Aliza couldn't have been more confused. She was so baffled that her fear subsided enough for her to look upon the Anarchist with both eyes.

"I mean, the spot isn't filled, is it?" Anarchy arched a brow, puffing out one cheek. "No offense, but you seem like a bit of uhh... A loner? Yeah, that's a nice way to put it."

Aliza lowered her head and narrowed her eyes. The word Anarchy had been looking for was loser. Yes, that was her. Poor, weak little Aliza. Butt of every joke and loser of every game. But this game she didn't understand. She'd never played this one before. Up until a moment ago, she'd been certain he would want to play tag. And then, if she somehow managed to win that game, hide and seek.

But Aliza was a loser, and she knew by the killer instinct in Anarchy's eyes that he was a winner. She'd never win those games, especially not against someone like him. And he played with high stakes. A man with nothing to lose and everything to take. Yes, she could never beat a man like this in any way shape or form. He was a giant, he was grand. And she was small, she was insignificant.

But, what was this? He didn't want to play hide and seek or tag. He had no interest in the games he was best at, and was proposing a game where they are on the same team? No, that couldn't be it, Aliza thought. This must have been charades, or some other cruel contest that would hurt and humiliate her.

"See, I'm on the hunt for this little clown man." Anarchy seemed to have taken Aliza's thoughtful silence as an invitation to explain his motives. "And he can do just about anything, so it's a lil' hard to get my hands on him."

"But here's the thing: He wants me to catch him!" Anarchy held his open hands out in front of himself. Aliza just watched with that befuddled expression, slowly nodding along despite having no concept of what he was talking about. "He just wants me to learn some kind of lesson first!"

"So y'know, I've been hopping from timeline to timeline, universe to universe in pursuit of his goofy ass." Anarchy explained like such things were monotonous and mundane, moving his hand in a circular 'move along' motion. "Every time I do things different, try to see things a different way and learn somethin' new."

"But the one thing I _haven't_ done is let someone live and make a friend!" Anarchy grinned in that way that was almost friendly and almost homicidal, reaching out to Aliza's skeptical expression and booping her on the nose with one finger. "That's where _you_ come in, you lucky duckling you!"

"... I..." Aliza slowly shook her head, her mouth hanging open. "I'm... Not sure I understand..."

"Alright, lemme break it down real simple." Anarchy sat back casually, leaning on his palms.

"This world?" He gestured out to the cobwebs and cracked walls around them. "It's called Horrortale. It's an awful place where meanies are gonna try to brutalize delicate flowers like you in lots of terrible ways."

"But - I don't know if you noticed, I know I keep it really low key - I am the opposite of a delicate flower." Anarchy took the hand he'd been gesturing with and planted it on his chest. "I am what we in the biz refer to as 'a brick shit house'."

"So, I'm going to protect you from the dangers of this world, and all you've gots to do is be my pal!" Anarchy smiled wide, flashing sharp fangs. "Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!"

". . ." Aliza just stared. She knew she was supposed to speak, but how on earth could she respond to this?! An interdimensional, all powerful serial killer hunting a clown who just wants to be her best friend? _Her_ , poor weak little Aliza? What use could someone so incredible see in someone so unimpressive?

Like all of her life, she was trapped. If she said no, he would kill her. If she said yes, she would constantly be at the side of this... _Creature_ in human skin.

But... She was desperate. She had no other options. She would have to play this game, even if it did turn out to be charades.

"You... Promise you won't hurt me..?" Aliza huddled herself close, looking to Anarchy skeptically from under her eyebrows.

"On my mother's grave." Anarchy reached up, saluting her with two fingers and a crooked smile on his face.

"..." Aliza's eyes drifted to the side, before she closed them. She gulped down as much of her fear as she could, gathered whatever shreds of courage she had, before reopening her eyes and looking into the crimson orbs of The Scorpion.

"... Okay. I'll be your friend."

* * *

They really gave it their all today. That much was obvious from the melted snow and occasional less-than-standing pine tree. But, on the topic of things that we standing and things that were not, I was still on my feet, and Chara was not.

Panting, I sat on a stump. Despite the cold of the forest, sweat ran in streams down my face, dripped from my nose onto the snow below. The flame in my left eye flickered out, red returning to green while my wings folded back into my shoulder blades.

Sighing, I reached up, running a hand through my hair while my eyes glossed across the torn up plains. About fifteen feet away, Chara laid flat on their back in a crater, staring straight up into the snow that drifted down from above with an expression that looked as numb as the cold was making our skin.

"..." I took a deep breath, and then grunted when I pushed myself to my feet. Snow crunched under my sneakers as I crossed the valley, and soon enough I'd reached the top of Chara's crater. Concern shined in my eyes as I looked upon their expression.

I knew what it was like, after all. Laying flat on your back, staring up at the unforgiving sky while your aching body goes cold. Knowing that you lost, because you weren't strong enough.

"... You're really improving, Chara. That was great!"

... But Chara wasn't like me. And I wasn't like The Killer.

"C'mon, it's friggin' freezing out here." I smiled as I slid down into the earth's indent, before reaching out one hand to help Chara up. "Lets head back."

"..." Chara was silent, ruby eyes laying upon my outstretched hand. They furrowed their brows, and their jaw clenched just before they swiftly reached up, surprising me by grabbing me by the wrist and yanking me off my feet.

I plummeted, emerald eyes wide as I managed to catch myself on my hands and knees over Chara, who had grabbed a fistful of my hair after letting go of my wrist. I was forced to outstretch my neck and tilt my head back, feeling the chill of their blade against my throat.

"... Hmph." Chara smirked up at me while I watched them skeptically. I wasn't worried about myself; I knew they didn't want to kill me and had a suspicion that even if they did I could come back from a slit throat. Not that I was confident enough in that suspicion to want to test it.

"You're powerful, Cter. More so than me or anyone else around here." Chara's eyes narrowed, that smirk drooping into a frown. "But your greatest strength could also be your greatest weakness."

I narrowed my emerald orbs down into their ruby ones. So that's what this was about. Their soul was red, and their eyes matched. My soul was red, sure, but my eyes were green.

"You trusted Frisk and I. You spared us, and it worked out." As if to confirm their words, Chara's grip on my hair lightened, and their knife pulled away some from my neck. "But it didn't have to."

"I'm not dumb, Chara." I frowned at Chara's paranoid words, reaching up and grabbing their knife holding hand by the wrist. "I know who I can trust and who I can't."

"Do you?" Chara's eyes narrowed suspiciously, hand balling tightly once more in my brown hair. "Remind me, who didn't want to kill Error?"

My jaw clenched at those words. A cheap shot, but an effective one.

"We killed Error." I spoke, aggravation clear in my tone. My grip on their wrist tightened.

"We sure did torture him and leave him to die." Chara put on a mocking smile and raised their eyebrows. "Everything else is speculation."

"We ripped his goddamn arms off!" I snapped with disbelief and fury.

"And you still didn't let us finish the job!" Chara snapped right back. "You're missing the point, Cter!"

"And what's that, Chara?!" I demanded to know, the both of us glaring at each other.

"What if another fanatic shows up?! Someone obsessed, who will stop at nothing to destroy you and everything you've worked for?!" Chara shouted, making me recoil. "Someone like _Error_ , who if my half of Character hadn't been there for, would still be alive and plotting more attempts at murder!"

"I-!"

"Or worse, what if it's someone you actually _like_!" Chara's eyes narrowed venomously, their jaw clenching. Words were pouring out now, they couldn't stop them. "What if it's someone you don't want to hurt?!"

Then, they shut their eyes tight, took a deep breath and shouted.

"WHAT IF TOMORROW MORNING I WAKE UP AND DECIDE I WANT TO GO ON ANOTHER KILLING SPREE?!"

A lot of loud, followed by deathly silence. I let slowly go of their wrist, and they slowly let go of my hair.

My eyes were wide, my mouth hanging open with some surprise as I stared down at Chara. They were quiet too, their lips shut to keep anything else from slipping out. Their ruby orbs refused to meet my emerald ones, a shame clear inside of them.

"... This isn't about my KINDNESS, is it?" I spoke softly after a long pause, slowly sitting up so that I was no longer looming over Chara.

"... No." Chara finally said, a bitter frown on their face. "It's about my malice."

"Chara..." I began to speak, concern clear in my tone, but they spoke first.

"Is it wrong of me to want to be stronger?" Chara narrowed their eyes painfully with this question, continuing to evade my gaze. "Is it bad that this gap in power that's formed between us makes me so angry?"

"I mean, you're supposed to be stronger than me." They shrugged hopelessly. "That way, if I turn... Back to the way I was... Then no one should have to worry."

"... But they do have to worry." Chara's eyes finally met mine, squinting knowingly. "Because last time you weren't able to kill me."

 _"I won't come back this time. If this is what you want then... I can't stop you from taking it. Because I can't kill you."_

"... And you were ready to die, just so I didn't have to..."

"..." I listened to every word, before shutting my eyes and nodding once. I took a deep breath, then I opened my eyes and spoke. "Chara, are we friends?"

"H-huh?" Chara's eyebrows rose with surprise, before furrowing with confusion. "Well, yes, of course we are..."

"Then are you sure you want to catch up with me to kill me," I smiled, finally standing and offering them my hand to help them to their feet. "And not to protect me?"

Chara certainly looked stunned by this question. Their eyes widened, before darting to the side thoughtfully. It was a lot to consider for them, after all. I was sure a fuel like that for gaining power was foreign to them. It put a whole different connotation on the concept. So they didn't answer, but after a long pause, they did take my hand.

And that was enough of an answer for me.

* * *

A slow exhale sent a grey smoke spiraling into the air, Gatherer gently pulling his cigarette away from his lips as he did so.

"... This. Is. Troubling."

Outstretched before Gatherer and Cliff was one derailed, shot up, overturned, and partially frozen train. It crumpled pathetically on the black marble floor of the void, smoke spiraling up and disappearing in the darkness that loomed overhead.

"That damn Predator!" Cliff slammed his fist down on his open palm, jaw clenching furiously. "She's too much of a coward to stay and face us!"

"..." Gatherer shut his eyes, inhaling nicotine from his cigarette calmly, turning more and more of it to ash until his lungs were full. Then, he lowered what was now just a smoldering tobacco stub, and let multiple streams of smoke fog out from between his clenched teeth before speaking once again. "It's fine."

"The Predator is afraid of our cause. She knows that the stronger we grow, the shorter her time as a multidimensional pirate becomes." There was a deep frown settled into Gatherer's face, despite his innocuous tone. "Soon enough, we will defeat her and her entire gang of hoodlums."

"So... You aren't angry about this?" Cliff arched a disbelieving brow, crossing his arms.

"... No." Gatherer responded sourly, flicking his cigarette butt into the air before, with the same hand, pointing a finger gun at it. A bolt of fire no bigger than a marble fired from his index finger tip, racing out to the stub that soared through the sky. On collision, the marble of flames blasted into an inferno that illuminated the vantablack sky.

"... Whoa..." Cliff stared with wide eyes into the brilliant flash of color in the dull, dark void. The orange of Gatherer's flame reflected in Cliff's orange eyes, and his jaw hung open in wonder of such destructive beauty.

As the flames dissipated, and their roar dulled to a quiet crackle, Cliff grinned over to Gatherer, surprising him with his excited expression. Around them, colorful embers floated down like burning snow.

"You're amazing, Xander!"

"H-huh?" Gatherer recoiled some, his eyes widening. Cliff had caught him off guard, as he often did, causing a light pink shade to form across his cheeks. The gentle giant's kindness was often surprising to Xander, but it never failed to sweeten his mood. Three words, and The Gatherer had nearly forgotten the smoldering, ransacked train before him.

Over the months he'd known Cliff, his view on the Bravery Soul had changed. At first, he'd been like everyone else. A sacrificial pawn if need be. A good hand. But, as time progressed, Gatherer found the weight on his shoulders was lighter with Cliff around. His usual no-nonsense attitude was able to enjoy a certain measure of nonsense. He saw Cliff as more than a piece in his game, and his words towards him were more than a means to an end. And that was not something Xander could say he felt about... Well, _anyone_ else, at this point in his life.

"With power like that, I'm sure you can defeat Predator and protect our cause!" Cliff clenched his fists excitedly at his sides. His brows furrowed with some concern, however, when he finally registered Gatherer's dumbfounded expression.

"... Oh! S-sorry, Gatherer Sir!" Cliff gave a salute that was anxious enough to be goofy, which made Gatherer smile some. "I uh... I called you by your real name again, didn't I?"

"... Ahem." Gatherer composed himself, clearing his throat into his fist before looking back to Cliff. "Relax, Clifford. I trusted you with that name, so you may use it as you see fit."

"C-Clifford?!" This time it was Cliff who recoiled, Gatherer just smiling and turning around to face the portal behind the two.

"Come on, lets head back." Gatherer continued to smile quietly, holding his hands behind his back as he walked back towards the portal. Cliff raced after him, flustered.

"What, like the big red dog?!"

"No. Like the big orange body guard."

* * *

"Eugh..." The Hacker tossed the wrapper of his Instant Noodles over his shoulder, swallowing the last of the dry noodles and finishing the healing of his gaping abdominal wound. "Can't help but miss the days where one cinnamon bunny would heal something like this."

"You were careless today." The Demon looked up from the black and red shirt they were sewing the hole shut in. "Something on your mind?"

"I guess I was just trying to figure out who that king guy was and why he of all people gave us that much trouble." The Hacker sunk into the cushions of the chair he was seated in. Currently, him and his partner were hidden in the abandoned Underground of Future's timeline, seated in what was once Asgore's living room what had to have been years ago. "This whole timeline is wonky."

"He kinda looked like you." The Demon stated absentmindedly, looking back down to the article of clothing they held in their hands. "But like, old and sad and black hair you?"

"..." The Demon paused then, eyes darting thoughtfully to the side. "Hey, did your dad have black hair?"

"He's not my dad." Hacker scoffed with amusement, smirking over to his partner. "My dad had about a decade on that guy. 'Sides, he was a ginger."

"Oof." Demon raised their eyebrows and shook their head, finishing sealing the hole in Hacker's shirt. "You really dodged a genetic bullet there."

"Very funny." Hacker commented sarcastically, catching his shirt as they tossed it back to him. "But whoever this king guy is, he isn't a joke."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Demon crossed their arms, watching as Hacker pulled his shirt back over his chest. "The king is powerful, but he's a coward."

"Up until a minute ago I had a gaping hole in my diaphragm that said otherwise." Hacker tilted his head to the side with an incredulous look.

"Well maybe he was merciless to you, but towards me he hesitated." The Demon leaned their palms back on the table behind them. "I could see it in his eyes; he was afraid to hurt me."

"Well a'course, Chara." The Hacker smirked darkly then, taking a bold step forward and closing the distance between himself and his partner. "Who could hurt somebody with a face like yours?"

The Demon smiled with the same measure of darkness at that, murder gleaming in their eyes as they looked up at him. "Well, Cter Hacker, aren't you a charmer?"

The Hacker opened his mouth to respond, but another voice cut him off.

"I sincerely hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Emerald and ruby orbs turned sharply, landing joylessly on Badster as all expression faded from the both of their faces, leaving cold frowns and hateful eyes.

"Ah." Smiling in a crooked way, Badster's eyes darted to the side. His lower half shimmered, materializing as the rest of his body had, from multicolored pixelated blocks. "My hopes are dashed."

"The hell, Gaster?" Hacker narrowed his eyes as he and his Demon turned to face the not-so-good doctor.

"You told us we'd find a real challenge here." The Demon crossed their arms impatiently. "But that king is weak willed, and this timeline is already half dead."

"Patience, my sweet children." Badster began, earning even more venom from the dynamic duo.

"Watch it, Wingding." Hacker spoke in a low growl, but Badster didn't seem intimidated in the slightest. Being the right hand man of Chaos Incarnate makes a man numb to such things.

"Your challenge is not the king. He is but a catalyst for the real enemy." Badster rose his hands dismissively, causing severed, skeletal, hole punched hands to appear in an arch over his head, each of them waving in that same dismissive manner before disappearing. "You two are quite the team, yes?"

The Hacker and The Demon grinned at that, and he placed an arm over their shoulder while they wrapped their arms around his waist, leaning their head on his chest. It seemed the two were trying to pose cutely, but to anyone but Badster it would have came off as eerie or unsettling or, at the very least, creepy.

"I'll take that as a yes." Badster held his hands together at his lower back, body arching forward while he smiled joyfully at the two. "And a team like yours could only be matched by a similar duo."

"Oh yeah?" Hacker crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side. "And when's this team supposed to get here?"

"Bide your time, hone your patience..." Just as he had came, Badster began to disappear into multicolored pixels, his body breaking away into the code.

 _ **"And you will receive exactly what you deserve."**_

* * *

Future stood with his hands in his pockets, exhausted eyes looking out from a high point over the monsters below. He stood on a rooftop, watching what remained of his people filter into the castle. He was a watchful eye, their last guardian, their Angel.

He had abandoned them once, and returned too late from his pilgrimage. And to be late, to not be there when they needed him, was something he had no intention of letting happen again.

That was why he'd needed a favor. That was why he'd talked C Frisk into bringing in their 'big guns'. But he knew what this deal meant. He had a debt to repay now, and he knew C Frisk would remember that.

But...

Future's eyebrows raised with some surprise, catching a small bunny kid being carried on her mother's shoulder smile up at him, waving one fluffy little hand happily at him. This made his lips curl upwards and the weight on his shoulder lighten some, and he brought up one hand, waving right back at the innocent child.

His subjects were worth it. He would never forget that again. For as long as he lived, he would dedicate himself to them.

"C-Cter?"

"Hm?" Future's eyebrows rose, and he looked over his shoulder to spot the timid lizard that stood behind him, looking up at him from under her glasses. "Oh, Alphys."

"Thanks for your help with the evacuation." Future turned around to face one of his few remaining friends, forcing a polite smile. "Is everyone accounted for?"

"Not a single straggler." Alphys forced her own smile. But just like her king, she looked tired. These were exhausting times, after all. Grief kept everyone up late and woke them up early. "Everyone really respects y-your decision..."

"And you?" Future turned then, looking back out to the dwindling number of monsters. "Do you think this is the right move?"

"W-well..." Alphys looked thoughtfully to the side, hesitating before speaking. "... I-it's hard to say."

"Those k-kids, they don't know how to get to the safe haven." Alphys stepped forward, looking out at the same grey world that Future looked into. "... B-but, Chara does..."

"..." Future's hair fell over his eyes, a sudden sting paralyzing him for a second. But a single second was plenty of time to drown in one's thoughts.

"... C-Cter, I... I know this has been hard for y-"

"For everyone." Future was freed from his paralysis just in time, cutting Alphys off. "But now is no time to mourn. There's work to be done."

"..." Alphy's eyes narrowed painfully, watching her friend from what felt like miles away. It amazed her really, how much humans could change over such a short period of time. A decade and a half she'd known Cter, and he was so drastically different now than he was then. And that feeling was bitter, filled her with a sense of longing for the simpler days of the past. It was that longing that made her shaky claw slowly lift, reaching out for her friend's hand.

Maybe she still had a chance to close the distance, to cross a thousand miles in an instant, to make him feel a little less alone.

"You should take a break, your highness. All work and no play make Angel a dull boy."

Future turned swiftly, yanked his hand away from Alphys without a moments hesitation to face a familiar voice. His jaw clenched, and his hands balled into fists as he spotted them.

Alphys' eyes widened, shrunken pupils managing to drift over to the source of their shared suffering.

There, on the railing that surrounded the edge of the rooftop, the disgraced heir sat, kicking their feet happily and staring at Future with murderous red eyes. They lifted their knife, pressing the tip of its blade against the index finger of their other hand.

*What a piss poor reunion.

* * *

"So how'd it go?" Asriel perked up as Chara and I stumbled back into the living room. He performed a doubletake, however, upon seeing just how tired the both of us looked. Then he snerked, "Looks like you guys enjoyed yourselves."

"Eugh..." I collapsed face first onto their couch, muffling my groan. "I didn't even come here to fight..."

"Then why'd you stop by?" Asriel arched a brow from the opposite couch, Chara plopping down next to him. "Was it to get in another heated debate on the challenge of paddle ball? Don't lie."

"No, dipass." I rolled my eyes as I lifted my head, even though Asriel's words had made me smile. "It's because we're celebrating my birthday down at the house next week."

"Birthday?" Asriel said with some surprise, before furrowing his brows. "Oh, yeah. Forgot humans had those."

After saying this, he looked over to Chara, who shrugged calmly. "I came out of a cabbage."

"Is that why you have the haircut of a Cabbage Patch Kid?" I lifted my head and pointed at them, only for a pillow to hit my face with lethal precision and make my head drop back to the couch.

"Cter, stop!" Asriel spoke through his laughter, holding his stomach. "You saying stuff like that is the reason they're growing their hair out!"

"Azzy!" Chara snapped, glaring over to him as their face went red. This only made the both of us laugh harder, however.

Chara crossed their arms, pouting while they waited for me and Asriel to stop cackling at their expense. At some point in laughing like an idiot, I flipped onto my back. Soon enough we stopped our giggling, and Chara sighed, rolling their eyes and opting to head back to the original topic.

"So, what about your birthday?" They arched a brow over to me while I looked at them upside down, legs hanging over the arm of the couch and hands folded in my lap. "You want a card or what?"

"That's optional." I grunted, sitting up and turning to face the two. "I actually dropped by to invite the two'a you to the celebration."

The both of them looked a little surprised at that, exchanging some anxious glances. I smiled politely, waving a hand to dismiss their fears.

"I get it if you guys aren't ready to be in that big of a social situation." I explained calmly. "I know the Surface isn't really either'a yours thing, and its only been six months since, y'know."

"I get it if you guys can't make it. We'll all see you two another day, it's perfectly alright." I assured with that patient smile. "But you two are my friends, and I did wanna invite you."

"... We'll," Chara scratched the back of their head, shooting a confirmation glance to Asriel before continuing. "We'll think on it."

"That's all I'm askin'." I said as I climbed to my feet. "No pressure."

"Anyway, I should probably head back home." I pointed with my thumb over my shoulder. "Toriel is gonna be done with dinner soon."

"I'll see you guys around, alri-?" I stopped speaking as I spun on my heel, eyes widening down at the little monochromatic Frisk that stood across from me, looking up into my emerald orbs with the empty blackness where their eyes would be. ". . ?"

"Uhh..?" Chara stood slowly, looking equally baffled as they tilted their head to look around me at the grayscale child that had suddenly... _Appeared_ in their home.

"Cter The Hacker?" The child asked, paying no mind to the wide spread confusion as they tilted their head up to me.

"Uhh... Billie Eiless?" I gestured to them, shaking my head slowly with furrowed brows. My joke made them smile, and that was certainly a sight in its own right.

"CORE Frisk." They corrected calmly, that smile remaining on their face. Hearing the name, I recognized why they looked familiar. "It's nice to finally meet you, after hearing so much."

For a staple member of a crime syndicate, I'd been pretty big in the Undertale fandom once upon a time. And while in theory, meeting another character I'd once thought fictional would be fun and exciting, this was beyond strange, them suddenly appearing like this. After hearing so much? What did that mean?

As if to confirm my anxieties, C Frisk spoke again.

 **"We need to talk."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	28. Chapter 28: Into The Angelverse

**Alright, so I know this is a few days late. I have an explanation. See, as I move onto content that differs vastly from the source material - Undertale, original DoubleTale, and Deltarune - more thought needs to go into each chapter to make sure everything flows and is structured correctly and that this story doesn't tank in quality. So if an update is late, don't worry, it just means that extra care and effort is going into it! Expect the next chapter the Sunday after this upcoming Sunday, and have fun reading! :)**

 **Thanks go to Tbone8454, cassianwindell123, 10burgers, MegaVile, Fixer140.85, Monkey D. Chimera, Jack54311, BonelessSkele, Wingah, Genowar, and Linki.**

 **Wow Skele, you actually signed in this time just to accuse me lol.**

 **cassianaswindell123, I _did_ think it was funny how spot on your headcannon was when you mentioned it lol. I remember thinking _oh fuck they're on to me_. **

**Glad you liked binge reading the story MegaVile, I'm sure it was a trip and a half. Unfortunately, yes, all the Deltarune homies are very ERASED from existence and therefore dead. Apart from Jevil, Badster, and Anthony/Anarchy, obviously.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"... So, you're telling us that there's a version of..." I paused, pointing between Chara and I. " _Us_ , that went uh... Went the other way on things..?"

"I know it's probably not the nicest thing to think about." C Frisk frowned with some form of care. Asriel, Chara, and I all sat on one couch now, C Frisk standing before us while they explained themself. "For either of you."

"... Yeah..." I glanced over to Chara, who was concerningly quiet. They stared at the floor, hair shadowing their eyes.

*Focus.

"So what does this have to do with us?" I turned my head to look back at C Frisk, furrowing my brows with confusion.

"A friend of mine is in danger. The Hacker and The Demon have come to him for a fight and he can't defeat them." C Frisk shook their head, frowning with a believable amount of worry. "He needs help, Cter."

"Oh boy..." I muttered to myself, grimacing at the words I knew were coming.

"I've been watching you, Cter. I know what you're capable of." Those empty eyes stared right at me, unblinking. "You're the only person I can trust with this-"

"Trust with what?!" I exclaimed, standing and throwing my hands into the air. "Going to some timeline I don't know for someone I've never met to kill some other version of myself and one'a my friends?!"

"We'll do it."

"Wha-!" I stiffened, jaw dropping. My neck creaked while I looked over my shoulder to Chara, who now stood, hands clenched at their sides.

Eugh... They had that DETERMINED look on their face.

"... They do not speak for me." I stated sourly, pointing to Chara while I glanced back to Frisk.

"Yes I do." Chara disagreed calmly. This made me frown with further irritation.

"And what makes ya think that?" I furrowed my brows and narrowed my eyes over at them.

"Simple." They smiled wickedly, tilting their head to the side. "I'm going to go regardless of whether or not you come with, and I know you're gonna be too worried that I'll die because you weren't there to not go with me."

*That KINDNESS of yours really _is_ easy to manipulate. If only someone had been warning you about and trying to destroy that weakness of yours for literal years now.

I often wonder if maybe I'd put a second round in that fucker's head, I wouldn't have to hear him buzzing in my ear now.

 **Chapter 28: Into The Angelverse**

 _"You know, you didn't have to kill everyone just to have an argument with me."_

* * *

"Alright Chara, I'll bite." I shrugged, turning around to look back at Chara as we stepped outside their Ruins home to have a strategic argument. " _Why_?"

"Cter, other people are in danger." Chara narrowed their eyes and spoke like it was obvious.

"You don't give a shit about other people." I frowned with an unwillingness to play along, tilting my head some. "Least not enough so to go risk your life and mine half way 'cross the multiverse."

I crossed my arms then, judging I was right by how they recoiled, took up a more defensive stance. "You want somethin' else outta this."

"You really think I'm that selfish, huh?" Pointed words, but they were dulled by a tone and expression that was just a step or two off from playful. "I guess lying isn't exactly my specialty."

*Of course. The Angel wears that crown.

ily2 Texty.

"So what's up, then?" My expression softened with a bit more understanding and a bit less demand.

Chara hesitated, bobbed their head from side to side and evaded my gaze while they gathered their thoughts. Talking about our feelings was certainly neither of ours' specialty. Our friendship had been forged on a pedestal of our own blood and viscera, after all. And that creates a unique closeness paired with a unique distance. It's a real topsy turvy diddle doo.

"Look." Their ruby eyes finally landed on me again, and they seemed to have gathered their thoughts and steadied their nerves. They looked certain now, honest. "I think this might be a very real and very literal way for me to face and come to terms with that part of myself and my past."

I was a little surprised, eyebrows rising and head tilting back while I listened.

"I've been trying my best to keep everything together and get better, but..." Chara lowered their head, eyes narrowing as they stared into their own open palms. "It's, a process. And I'm not sure if I'll ever get better without, seeing our..."

"... Our bad end." I finished for them, and their eyes glossed to the side with a sluggish shrug.

"..." I sighed, shutting my eyes for a moment before nodding and reopening them. "Alright, Chara. This seems pretty important when ya put it that way, so I'd have to be a real A hole to shut this down."

"... 'Sides." My eyes darted to the left, and I reached up, scratching the back of my head. "It'd be kind of a dick move to leave those people to die, even if we don't know 'em. What goes around and all that."

"So really, you were just being difficult to be difficult." Chara smirked knowingly, crossing their arms over their chest.

"In my defense, I just busted my ass fighting you _not to the death_ like a half hour ago. Wasn't exactly super excited to fight another you but with higher stakes for a complete stranger." Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I shrugged my shoulders. "Not to mention there's gonna be another _me_ thrown all up in the mix."

"Well, we'll go there get more information. Talk to this friend'a CORE Frisk's, make sure nothing is fishy." That smirk faded, but Chara kept their arms crossed. "But I do think it's important we take care of this, and quickly."

"Personal reasons aside," Chara narrowed their eyes then, and their voice lowered, like they were afraid someone might hear them. "You and I both know how terrifying we are when we work together."

Ah, great minds and similar thoughts. I'd been skeptical of this 'mission' for more reasons than just indolence. In fact, that'd been a total lie from the get-go. I knew that if we were to get involved with those two, and they figured out how to form Character, we might just be boned into the next life. Revealing our existence to The Hacker and The Demon would mean we would have to kill them or die trying. If we escaped, they'd go looking for us. And with drive like theirs, they'd find us. It was only a matter of time until those two discovered how to achieve that power, so the bud had to be nipped before that happened.

"... Yeah." I took up my own solemn expression, nodding to confirm to them that I got their meaning.

"Lets get this over with."

* * *

"... Alphys."

Alphys quickly looked up to Future, who stood between her and the one who'd put her on the endangered species list. He kept his eyes glued on the enemy, one arm out in front of her protectively. "Why don'tcha go for a walk?"

"Cter, a-are you sure..?" Alphys gulped, her eyes darting between her king and her exterminator.

"Me n' Char-Bear have a bit'a catchin' up to do." Future's voice remained calm, even though his fists shook and his knuckles went white. "I'll catch up with ya."

"..." Alphys lowered her head, and with what will she had she forced a nod. "... Right. I understand."

Future kept one arm out as Alphys made her way across the rooftop to the staircase leading back into the building, watching Future Chara's every move.

"Alphys."

She paused in the doorway, looking back over her shoulder to Future as he called out to her once more. This time he was actually looking at her, and shockingly enough, he smiled.

"I mean it." Future assured, knowing full well what his friend was fearing. "I'm not gonna die."

"... Y-yeah!" Alphys managed a smile, her fragile heart lightening at this as she gave Future a more confident nod. "I believe in you!"

Future sighed as he watched Alphys disappear down into the building he stood upon, before his expression hardened once again, and he turned his head back to F Chara.

"Y'know, I'm a pretty important guy these days." Future spoke, placing his hands in his pockets and narrowing his joyless eyes. "Usually when people want audience with me they have to file a request and wait a few business days."

"Is that why you ghosted me and the rest of your friends and family for so long?" F Chara smiled in a particularly angry way. "We didn't file a request?"

"Funny you'd choose the word 'ghosted'." Future rose his eyebrows, tilting his head some. "Considering you uhh, fuckin' murdered 'em."

"I didn't think you would mind." F Chara shrugged casually. "I mean, you abandoned us for so long, I just figured we were all dead to you anyway."

"Fuck you, Chara!" A furious, knee jerk response made them recoil, throw their hands up defensively.

"Is that really what this is about?! Oh boo hoo, Cter went away to get his shit together!" Future was frothing with rage now, all the nasty emotions inside him boiling over. "As if that's an excuse to go back to being the same asshole you were when we were kids!"

"Don't you talk down to me, Angel!" Chara snapped right back, their own expression twisting with anger as they took a bold step forward.

"And why shouldn't I?!" Future took his own step forward, teeth gritting in a snarl.

"Because you did the same thing!" Chara exploded, making Future recoil.

"What?" He spoke softer now, narrowing his eyes with confusion.

"What were their names? Anthony, Lexi?" F Chara asked with fake curiosity, tilting their head to the side. Future's emerald eyes went wide at these words, his pupils shrinking and his jaw hanging slightly ajar.

"... Don't. You. Dare." He spoke quietly so that Chara would have to listen, teeth grinding together.

"You have the audacity to say that I'm the same as I was when we were kids, but what did _you_ do, Angel?" Chara narrowed their eyes inquisitively, gradually walking back towards the ledge behind them. "What you always do, of course."

"You convinced us to love you, then you abandoned us." They stung coldly and with disdain on their tongue, shaking their head with disappointment in their eyes. "Just like your parents, just like your Granny, just like your old friends."

"..." Future didn't have a response for that. He went quiet, lowered his head, and conceded the argument. He wanted to get angry, shout or even just clench his fists. But he wasn't angry. Wasn't sad, either. Just numb. Exhausted. Chara's venom hadn't hurt him or made him sick, that's not what it was meant for. It paralyzed him. Made him weak and tired. Feeble.

Chara didn't speak anymore. They just stepped back onto the ledge, preparing to hop back down and disappear into the alleyways. But just when they looked away from the monarch and to the drop below, he managed to find a few words.

"... You should have killed me."

They looked over their shoulder back to Future, narrowing their eyes coldly. "What?"

"I would have let you." Future's eyes remained on the ground, his voice quiet and his expression entirely lifeless. "If it meant they wouldn't get hurt, I would have let you take me instead."

"... I know you would've." They looked forward, staring down into the dark depths they would plunge back into. "But how could I have?"

They stepped one foot off the ledge.

"You convinced me too, after all."

Then they dropped back into the darkness.

* * *

Aliza would have been concerned about her manners, had Anarchy not looked so amused by her ravenous eating methods.

One rumbling of her stomach, and her new serial killer best friend had pulled a sword shaped sandwich out of his inventory and given it to her without a moments hesitation. This act of kindness was jarring, and when Aliza asked Anarchy if he was sure that he didn't need it, he dismissed her worries. Something about surviving mostly on spite and try hard tears. Go figure.

The sandwich was strange. She didn't feel hungry after eating it, but she didn't feel full either. The food had energized her, healed all the pain of her starvation, but it was as if it had disappeared right after sliding down her throat. She found this odd, but it healed her pain, so she didn't care. The ache of her shoeless feet had disappeared as well, along with the exhaustion that had been plaguing her for days, ever since she'd been forced to climb this mountain.

"... Thank you..." She finally spoke meekly, having gone silent for a few moments after finishing her food. Perhaps it was the fact that she no longer felt as though she was dying, but at the side of this red eyed, ivory skinned ghoul, she didn't feel as fearful as she had upon their meeting. Her thanks was genuine, and though she kept her head low, Aliza did smile just a little over towards Anarchy.

"What're friends for?" Anarchy exclaimed, and his face was yanked up in one big happy smile. The Anarchist's happy face was certainly still off putting to Aliza, one act of kindness wouldn't change her fearful soul that much. But, it didn't make her want to flee for her life like it had before.

And she felt it was a lot more... Believable now. Before it seemed like a fake smile, the light of an angler fish to lure her into a beast's terrifying maw. But, seeing it again after he'd thoughtlessly helped her, she thought it may have been a bit more genuine than she'd originally interpreted. Only time would make these theories clear, but either way, her suspicions had given her the confidence to speak without having been spoken to.

"... U-uhm, hey..." Or, stammer without having been spoken to.

"Huh?" Anarchy glanced back over to Aliza, eyebrows rising curiously. "Wassup?"

"What, should I... Call you..?" Aliza shrunk timidly with her question, eyes glossing to the side. "I, know you referred to yourself as The Anarchist before, but, do you... Have a different name, or..?"

"Uhh..." Anarchy stroked his imaginary beard, ruby orbs glossing up to the ceiling as the two walked. "That's a good question, actually..."

"I go by Anarchy pretty often, but that's mostly to victims or future victims?" Anarchy shrugged, glancing back over to Aliza. "My last best friend called me Anny, but he left me for dead twice, sooo..?"

What kind of idiot would backstab The Anarchist, Aliza pondered. She had to assume that whoever this ex best friend was had either suffered a horrible fate or would suffer one in the near future. Anarchy didn't seem like the type to forgive or the type to forget. She supposed she understood this, related to it in a way. After all, it had been her 'friends' that had made her climb this god forsaken mountain. When she thought about it, she found herself envious of The Anarchist. He was powerful and confident. Anyone who crossed him would surely pay the price. Meanwhile, Aliza had been a doormat her entire life it seemed. People had always treated her however they had pleased, and there had been no consequences for them.

Maybe, if she really did befriend Anarchy like he wanted, then she could get him to...

No, no. That was horrible. She would never wish The Anarchist's wrath on anyone, even the other children that she _loathed_. Hated. Was furious with. What it would be like to hear them cry like they'd made her cry. Hear them scream, beg for mercy, be crushed by her power-!

... Well that wasn't good. Perhaps her and Anarchy had more in common than she'd thought or preferred.

"Anthony!"

"H-Huh?!" Aliza jumped, shaken from her thoughts by Anarchy's exclamation. Anarchy chuckled at that, shaking his head.

"Real friends should call each other by their real names." Once more with that unsettling grin, Anarchy gave her a thumbs up. "My name is Anthony."

 _Real friends..?_ Further Aliza's confusion grew, but she nodded obediently nonetheless.

"Uhm, o-okay, Anthony..." She held her hands together in front of herself, keeping her head low and her eyes on the ground. She was terrified that she would say something wrong, cause a switch to flip and make Anarchy turn his fury upon her.

"And whaddabout you?" Anarchy turned his head to look at her, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "What's your name?"

Aliza had half expected him to either never ask her name or give her one of his own design, but Anarchy seemed DETERMINED to prove her suspicions wrong at every turn. "A-Aliza..."

"Well it's very nice to meet you Aliza." Anarchy spoke politely, before looking ahead and pausing. Aliza stopped with him, following his eyes down to the spikes that blockaded the doorway into the next section of the ruins.

"I-it looks like another puzzle..." Aliza analysed while glancing around the room. "There should be a lever or something around here somewhere..."

Anarchy didn't seem to be listening, however, as he unbuckled the sapphire shield from his back. He placed it atop the rusted spikes before them, then lifted one foot and rested it on his shield.

Aliza jumped, eyes darting back to Anarchy when the horrific sound of metal on metal screeching reached her ears. She reached up, placing her hands over her ears and wincing painfully while she watched Anarchy use his shield to push the spikes back into place. All the locks snapped, rusted steel giving way under The Anarchist's might. And after a few moments, the spikes were back in the earth, and Anarchy stepped on the corner of his shield, sending it flinging up and catching it on his arm. Then, as if nothing had happened, he stepped right through the now clear doorway.

". . ." Aliza just stared, utterly bewildered at this feat of strength that came effortlessly to The Anarchist. Her arms dropped back to her sides, hanging limp. It _all_ came so easily to him...

"You comin' or what?"

Anarchy's voice shook her from her stupor, and she looked back to him, nodding swiftly.

"Y-yes..."

* * *

"Cter!"

Future was quick to kneel down, letting out an 'oof' as Alphys jumped right into a hug, nearly knocking him over.

"W-whoa, whoa!" Future laughed some, wrapping his arms around his friend and patting her on the back. "I said I was coming back, didn't I?"

Alphys made some attempt at speaking, but it came out like garbled baby talk, as people often sounded when they were crying.

"... How did it go?"

Future lifted his head, smiling mirthlessly up at the former bartender. Grillby, one of the few survivors who'd managed to evade Chara's rampage. Of course Alphys had told him, Future figured. If he died, Grillby was the next strongest defender of Monsterkind.

"Welp, they showed up, made me feel like shit, and then they left." Future shrugged while he stood, casually picking Alphys up while he did so. "I figure they probably had an actual reason to wanna talk to me, but I got pissed off and yelled at 'em and it scared 'em away."

"I wonder what set you off." Grillby stated with dry sarcasm, lifting his hand to push up his glasses with his index finger.

"I mean, I'm sure you of all people can understand being a bit _hot headed_." Future put on a fake grin, winking an eye shut.

"..." Grillby shut his eyes, sighing with exasperation. "That was terrible."

"Ayyyy." Future performed a single finger gun, his other arm continuing to hold up Alphys, who began laughing quietly, looking up from his chest and smiling weakly.

"Ready to get down, bubsy?" Future smirked a little down at Alphys, who nodded.

"Y-yeah, I'm better now. T-thanks..." Alphys smiled timidly, and Future set her back on her feet.

"So, it's looking like we got everybody." Future glanced around the evacuation center they stood in. It was a little bleak, he couldn't deny that. High ceiling, concrete walls. A lotta grey. An underground bunker for an entire society was bound to be a tad dreary.

"Every monster is accounted for." Grillby nodded to confirm Future's words. "Rations are being distributed, tents are being set up. Things are going surprisingly well for us."

"Surprisingly?" Future rose his eyebrows as he repeated Grillby's word.

"You have to admit, we've had quite a bad luck streak lately." The fire elemental stated blandly, and Future rolled his eyes with exasperation.

"Yeah, you can say that again..." He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He took a deep breath then, shutting his tired eyes for a moments reprieve before looking back to his most trusted advisers.

"Alright, you guys make sure everything goes smoothly down here." Future took a step or two back from the two. "I'm heading back topside."

"S-so soon?" Alphys spoke with concern, stepping forward while Future stepped back.

"Sorry Alph, I'm a busy guy. Got meetings and stuff." Future shrugged, a portal to the surface appearing behind him. "King business, if ya catch my drift."

"... Good luck." Grillby placed a hand on Alphys' shoulder, reaching out and giving Future one flaming thumbs up.

Future nodded, smiling in an attempt to reassure the two before disappearing through that portal, leaving his people in their shelter.

* * *

Anarchy didn't care about this, Aliza was certain of that. He had the look of someone who'd never responded to a plea for help in his life. But, when she had heard the screams from behind the two, it had put her noticeably on edge.

She hadn't dared bring up the idea of running back to save this poor fool, for fear of aggravating her 'friend'. Anarchy seemed to value progress, and was disinterested in looking back. Despite this, when he'd seen Aliza hesitantly looking over her shoulder and choking on some words with each fearful croak that echoed from behind them, he'd asked her something simple. "Do you wanna go back?"

Normally, Aliza would have been afraid to face whatever was causing the wailing. But, surprisingly, the red eyed ghoul that now haunted her provided a sense of security. He had promised to protect her, to never cause her harm or let anyone else do the same. The Anarchist was a thousand and one different nasty things, Aliza knew that with absolute certainty. But with each passing second she was growing more and more convinced that of all those titles, 'Liar' was not on the list. So, timidly, she had confessed that she did want to assist this distant stranger. And, without question, Anarchy had turned around and began walking towards the screams.

Now, the two were just entering a room overrun with spider webs. Having dangling strings for creepy crawlies drooping all around her certainly didn't help Aliza's anxieties. But, when faced with the starved looking frog monster that cried and struggled from the corner of the room, she swallowed enough of her terror to scurry across the filthy and sticky floor and kneel before the desperate Froggit.

The frog croaked desperately, like it was trying to relay some message that the humans couldn't understand. Aliza didn't need a play by play, however. She could see it was trapped in the thick white strings, and she was aware that meant it would be food when the eight legged predators returned. So she swiftly took Froggit's front legs, and with her frail arms she tugged with all her might against the bindings of the innocent amphibian.

Fear flickered in her however when her eyes darted to the floor, watching a score of arachnids skitter from the darkness and out towards her to protect their food. She flinched, and just when she was ready to abandon this Froggit, one ivory hand slapped down at the center of the swarm, mashing a good chunk of the spiders to green paste, which then turned to silver dust.

Anarchy watched with disinterest as the remaining spiders swarmed up his fingers, relentlessly sinking their fangs into his flesh in mad vengeance for their pathetically squashed brethren. The Anarchist lifted his palm, smiling vacantly while he watched the black swarm draw his blood, inject him with their poison. But he had a poison of his own.

The crimson mist of his soul. Life for him but a fate worse than death for them. A red aura began to stream out from his hand, washing over his unsuspecting victims. The arachnids didn't notice immediately, but soon enough Aliza was watching them writhe in agony. Their bodies slumped, changed to the same white that they had feasted upon to earn this punishment from their malicious god.

Just a moment ago, she'd been afraid of the spiders. Now, she pitied them. They crumbled to a white goop, melted by a drop of The Anarchist's DETERMINATION. Pathetically they tumbled from his powerful hand, splattering together into one lump of white gunk on the concrete floor. And just when Aliza thought the horrors were through, the wad of melted spider began to twitch and shift with twisted life. Legs sprouted unevenly from it's baseball sized, half-solid body. She didn't take the time to count the legs, but she knew there was far more than eight. An odd number it seemed from unequal sides. Fifteen? Seventeen? On each end of it's body there was one disfigured head. Too many eyes and too few fangs on one, too few eyes and too many fangs on the other.

It's putty body writhed, tried to split from itself, like the different lives trapped in that one horrific form were desperately begging for their freedom. Anarchy had his own brand of mercy however, and it made both Aliza and the Froggit tremble when they saw him gift it to this freakish beast he'd created.

His shadow extended out from under himself, shaping into some kind of worm-like creature and opening it's maw of jagged teeth to the spider amalgam. The worm was grinning madly and snapping its jaws while it slithered towards its meal, which was too busy trying and failing at escaping its own body to flee for its wretched life. Then, one obsidian tongue flicked out, striking the amalgamate and lapping up its side, stretching and smudging its fragile body while knocking it on one mushy side. The moment the spider(s) was on its side, the worm struck, and viciously. It snapped its jaws on the white gunk, sucked it into its mouth and turned up it's head, chewing it's disgusting form like gum. Then, it swallowed, and the twisted spider amalgam disappeared into the stomach of the darkness.

Aliza dropped back onto her butt, not even noticing that said motion pulled the Froggit free. She was too busy watching in dreadful awe as the worm obediently returned to being two dimensional, mimicking The Anarchist's shape under him while awaiting its next order. The Froggit wasted no time skittering off, shrieking and croaking with fright as it disappeared into the rest of the Ruins.

"That was rude." Anarchy stated, furrowing his brows as he stood back to his full height. His empty red eyes watched the doorway Froggit had escaped through for another moment, before he looked over his shoulder to Aliza. "Would you like to go after him?"

Aliza sat there, leaning back on her hands and staring up at her otherworldly body guard with fear flickering in her eyes and icy sweat dripping down her face. Once more she was paralyzed by those crimson eyes, his words static in her ears, drowned out by her own thoughts and questions. In her panic, she only managed three words.

"... What _are_ you..?"

"Hm..?" Anarchy's eyebrows furrowed with some confusion. It was unlike her, to ignore his words and speak her own mind. That made him smile. So shortly he'd been her friend, and he was already helping her improve. All these years, and he was still so good at being a friend. "What a weird question."

Anarchy reached out then to the weak and afraid Aliza with one powerful hand, offering MERCY and protection to someone who believed they were entirely undeserving.

"I'm a human, just like you!"

* * *

"Here we are!"

My eyes glossed over the flower-filled throne room curiously. I could spot the sky - overcast as it was - through the windows, so it appeared we were on the surface. I wasn't sure if that made things easier or complicated them.

CORE Frisk had lead Chara and I through a portal to this strange room in this strange timeline, but the throne at the center of it all was empty.

"Uhh..?" I stopped my ocular exploring to look down to C Frisk, furrowing my brows. "Where are-?"

"Sorry, sorry!"

A voice rang from behind us, causing each of us to turn and watch one tall human quickly and awkwardly speed walk into the room. I was certain I'd never seen him before, but I couldn't deny that something about his face - beneath the five o'clock shadow - looked familiar. When he pushed past the three of us, I caught the scent of alcohol on him, which instantly made me all the more suspicious of this man. But my interest piqued when _he_ of all people took a seat on the throne, sighing and running a hand down his face. That was when I noticed the crown atop his head. I recognized it alright, it was the same one I'd bore on my own head awhile back.

"These're busy times." He pulled his hands away from his face after he rubbed some of the exhaustion from his eyes, leaning back in his throne and taking a look at us. "I'm sure you guys can understa-..."

He paused then, his mouth hanging open and his eyebrows rising as his eyes darted between Chara and I.

"... Is there a problem?" Chara eventually asked, watching the stranger king skeptically.

"My fuckin' life is the problem..." The King muttered under his breath, reaching up to rub his tired eyes again.

"What?" Chara asked, but he didn't answer, instead standing from his throne and reaching into his black, button up vest.

"Alright look," He walked right up to us while retrieving a flask from inside his vest. "I'm the king'a the monsters in this here timeline. You two can call me Future."

"Because you're a rapper..?" I questioned, slowly tilting my head to one side while I watched this man with growing confusion.

"No, dumbass." He stung bitterly while he unscrewed his flask, cold eyes unblinking as he turned it upside down and gulped down several mouthfuls of something I guessed was strong, judging from the bitter drunk vibes I got from this shell of a man.

"Then why should we-?"

"I'm guessing Frisk briefed ya on the situation?" Future cut Chara right off without a care, tilting his head and arching a tired brow.

"Yeah, they-"

"Alright, good." This time Future interrupted me, rummaging through his dress pants pocket and yanking a wad of paper free, tossing it to me without hesitation. "You two know how to traverse the multiverse yet?"

"Uhh, no, I don't think-?"

"Perfect." Future capped his flask and stuffed it back in his vest, rolling his eyes. "That note has the bar code for my timeline. If for some reason Frisk here can't getcha here, give that note to your Gaster and he'll know what to do."

"Alri-?"

"Now I'm gonna need both'a your phone numbers, in case I have to contact ya with an emergency." Frowning, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared down at us with half closed eyes. "I'm sure you two understand your opponents well enough to know they could strike at any time."

"Could you slow-"

"Your job is to keep _me_ and all my citizens alive. That just happens to include stopping Hacker and Demon." He lazily placed one hand on his chest, before gesturing out to the world around us. "My people need me, and I also happen to be the target of those little shits with your faces. As much as I'd love to die, I'm too important to waste time on it at the moment."

"This is a lot to-"

"You two ever see that chunk'a One Piece where they draw the X-es on their wrists and then wrap bandages around them?" Future tilted his head, cocking a tired brow. "Yeah, I'm gonna need you two to do that to avoid any switcheroo bullshit."

"OI! JACKASS! CAN YOU QUIT YOUR BRAYING FOR A MINUTE?!"

Future, C Frisk and I recoiled all at once, each of us looking to Chara, who was fuming to say the least.

"I don't know if you forgot, but _we're_ here to help _you_!" Chara stomped, hands clenching into white knuckled fists at their sides. "So how 'bout you slow it down, throw in a few 'please's and 'thank you's, and then take a shower and shave your fucking face?!"

". . ." Future stared, head tilted back and eyebrows lifted. And while I expected him to get angry in return, I was stunned to watch his lips curl up in a smile and his chest start to lift with a deep chuckle.

"Alright alright, my buddies my friends my guys and my pals." He shook his head, still grinning and laughing to himself while he turned and began walking back towards his throne. "Since you asked so kindly, I'll take it from the top."

He plopped down in his throne, slouching and letting his head lean lazily on one shoulder while he watched the three of us with icy emerald eyes.

"My name is Cter The Hacker."

Chara and I flinched at once, green and red orbs snapping open wide while both our hearts tripped over their weird heart feet in our chests.

Future grinned in a way I thought only I knew how, leaning forward and placing a hand over his chest. He winked his right eye shut, and from his left a DETERMINED red flame burst to life.

 **"And I'm The King Over The Mountain."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	29. Chapter 29: A Funny Looking Crystal Ball

**Alrighty! Here as I promised, but with an announcement. This Thursday I will be going on a two week vacation, and I may not have much time to type while on this vacation. So I'm unsure of when I'll be updating next, but it may not be until days after the 17th of October. At the latest, expect the next chapter on the 27th. If I do update before then, it could be on any given day. I really have no idea what my schedule is gonna look like these next few weeks. Thanks for understanding, and I hope you have a great October!**

 **Allagenda-domsitzers-chan! You madlad! I'm glad you aren't dead! It's unfortunate that you disappeared when you did, I was really looking forward to seeing your response to Anarchy's unabridged backstory in chapter 25, since you've always found him concerningly relatable lol.**

 **Thanks go to Andyfire123, Wingah, 10burgers, Monkey D. Chimera, MegaVile, Jack54311, Genowar, Gray Kanzakai, Infinity Soul, Linki, Skele, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, and bignibba532.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Horrortale (The latter of which was created by** **Sour-Apple-Studios).**

* * *

"... But my name is Cter The Hacker." I spoke with a distinct lack of understanding, reaching up and putting a hand on my chest.

"... Mhm." Future slowly and sarcastically nodded his head, widening the emerald orbs I thought only I possessed at me while that red flame disappeared from his left eye.

"I just, figured there was no way anyone else has that name?" I squinted with confusion, gradually tilting my head to the side.

"There isn't." Future lifted his fist, resting his chin on it while he watched the dusty gears in my head creak and groan as they tried to spin.

"But, you just said..?" I lifted the hand I'd had on my chest, skeptically pointing to him.

"Oh my god..." Chara muttered, burying their face in their hands while they watched me rub my two brain cells together in desperate attempts to decipher this riddle.

"What?" I looked over to them irritably, and with little patience they threw their head back and dropped their arms dramatically to their sides.

"He's you, Cter!" Chara exclaimed, throwing one hand out to gesture to Future and snapping their head to the side to glare at me.

"But I'm me!" I protested, recoiling some at this stunning revelation.

"You are _not_ that stupid!" With my lack of understanding, Chara was getting more and more irritated. "You know there's more than one you across the multiverse!"

"Yeah, dipshit, I got that part!" Their anger ignited my own, and furiously I pointed to the chuckling king on his throne. "My point is that _I_ am not some withered old dude with depression!"

"You _do_ have depression, though." Future interjected casually, and my glare turned to him.

"That hasn't been proven by a licensed professional." I defended, tilting my head down some to give Future a look from under my eyebrows.

"Doesn't take a licensed professional to tell you the sky's blue." Future slouched with a careless shrug.

"Time does not flow evenly across the multiverse, Cter." C Frisk's calm tone caught my attention, and I glanced down to them, listening curiously.

"With the many manipulators of time, there are plenty of timelines that are days, weeks or even months off of one another." hands behind their back, C Frisk stared blankly up at me while they cleared things up. "It's quite common."

"So what, do I hit turbo double puberty next week and everyone thinks it's so cool they make me king and are okay with me drinking?" I asked with a drop of sarcasm, crossing my arms.

"Funny." C Frisk smiled, oddly bright on their dark features. "No; there are a small percentage of timelines that are years or even decades off from the norm."

"Well, alright, I _guess_ I can see that, but what about his hair?" I once more gestured to my black haired counterpart, using my other hand to poke a finger into my head of brown hair. "Do I hit an emo phase in my early thirties?"

"Turns out having a species worth of magic pumped into our bodies changes us a lil' more than we originally thought." Future shrugged carelessly. "In our late twenties our hair starts to change on account'a the ink in our veins. There've been a few other minor changes, but nothing that noticeab-"

"Wait there's ink in my bloodstream?" My eyes widened some as I interrupted, leaning back skeptically.

"Issa metaphor." Future waved one hand dismissively, but then he hesitated. Those distant emerald eyes darted to the side. "... Probably."

"Probably?!" I exclaimed, grabbing at my arms suddenly, like I was concerned with what lurked in my own body.

Future threw his head back with laughter, reaching up and putting a hand on his face. "Jeez kid, you really are easy to scare!"

"Shut up!" I snapped at my older self, face going red with embarrassment as I recognized his cheep shot. "You know that vein stuff freaks me out!"

While I was shouting and Future was laughing at my expense, the both of us failed to notice that Chara didn't look the least bit amused. Their hair shadowed their eyes, their lips curled down in a bitter frown, and their hands clenched into tight fists.

"... Hey. Old Cter."

"Huh?" Future stopped his laughing, looking back from the ceiling to Chara. "Wassup munchkin?"

"This has been informative, but we're still missing a piece of the puzzle." Chara looked up from the shadow of their hair, narrowing those red eyes with intensity.

"Oh yeah?" Future squinted some himself, the previous mirth draining from the room with a sudden tone shift. He leaned forward in his throne, staring into those eyes unflinching. "And what's that?"

"That crown." Their jaw clenched, and with concern and confusion I watched them. "Why are you wearing it?"

"... I already answered that." Future frowned now, those eyes we shared suddenly looking a lot more lifeless than my own. "I'm the king."

"Asgore. Toriel. Asriel. Frisk." Chara recited their names, and Future flinched visibly. "There's a long line of people who'd have that crown before it ever landed on your head."

"You sayin' I'm not right for the job?" His hand clenched on the arm of his throne, a certain lethalness flickering in those eyes.

"I'm saying that you don't have interest in government." Chara's fists were white knuckled now. "I'm saying you'd only dawn that crown if-"

"If everyone else was dead?" Future lifted his eyebrows inquisitively, tilting his head some. Chara and I both flinched with those words, but Chara took a deep breath and continued, fearless of what they might learn. "That's what you were gonna say, right?"

"Future." C Frisk spoke his name like a warning, their jaw tightening and their tiny fists trembling anxiously.

"What?" Future fearlessly looked to C Frisk, a certain aggravation in his tone. "They've already pieced enough together, who am I to stop 'em from seeing the full picture?"

"Answer the question, Future." Chara's demanding tone cut back in, making Future's sleep deprived green orbs lock back onto them. "Why are you the king?"

"... You really are one smart cookie, ain'tcha?" Bitterly the king smiled, leaning his head back against his throne and looking down at us. "Congrats, you figured it out."

"In this timeline, almost everyone I've ever cared about is **dead**."

 **Chapter 29: A Funny Looking Crystal Ball**

 _"Everything is bad and it's makin' me sad!"_

* * *

The air was sucked from the room. Time came to a screeching halt. We were crushed under the gravity of that reality, the darkness of this future.

Even Chara was at a loss, staring with shrunken pupils at Future, who stared right back with those frozen emeralds.

"... W-who-"

"You." Future cut them off, answering their question before they could ask it. "It was you."

I too felt paralyzed, watching Chara go pale from Future's relentless revelations. Nervous sweat beaded down my forehead, eyes darting between the two. Chara's hair dropped over their eyes once more as they lowered their head.

Desperately I wanted to speak. Reassure Chara and denounce Future's words. This was the last thing they needed to hear, that this was how the story ends. With me sitting on a throne of dust that they built.

But, my mind was too busy whirling for me to speak. It just didn't make sense to me. I knew Chara, I knew they wanted to be better. And I knew that so long as they had people to support them-...

 **"... You."**

My voice caught everyone's attention, and all heads turned to watch as I boldly stomped towards Future's throne. The tidal wave of thoughts washing over me turned red, and my fists trembled furiously at my sides.

Chara's brows furrowed with quiet confusion, eyes following me on my way towards Future. "Cter, what are you-"

"What did you do?!" I snapped, hand darting out to grab my Future self by the collar, yanking his wide-eyed face down to my level.

"What do you think I'm an idiot?!" I snarled with rage, a red light flickering in my left eye. "I know that'd never happen with us around!"

"So where do you find the nuts to look at Chara and say this was their fault, when we both know it was _you_ who fucked up?!" My hands shook violently in gripping Future's shirt, all those unpleasant feelings shining in my emerald orbs. "When we both know that if the world's gonna turn out like this, it's gonna be _our_ fault?!"

... Ah. So that's why I feel shitty.

Future's eyes were wide, brows raised for another moment or two. Then, he shut those peepers, took a deep breath, and reopened them. He gently placed his hands on my shaking forearms, and what remained of his KINDNESS shined from those green eyes.

"... When things get stressful and difficult in a way that you aren't used to, it... It gets easy to play your cards wrong. To go back to dealing with your problems in a way that's familiar." Future's lips drooped in a frown, eyebrows rising like he was asking me if I understood what he meant. "Sometimes it's easy to keep making the same mistake."

... So that's what happened. Chara wasn't the only one who went back to their old ways in this timeline. It really was my fault.

"..." I didn't speak, just nodded quietly while I let go of his shirt and took a step back.

"I'm sorry, I know I was a little harsh. I said some things that I probably shoulda kept to myself." Future stood from his throne, and with some understanding he looked over us. "I understand that seeing a reality like this is more than scary for you two. Breeds a lot of doubt in yourselves."

"All I can say is that this isn't set in stone. I mean, your path is already diverging from mine. All this?" Future gestured to the world around us. "It isn't your fault. It hasn't happened to you yet, and so long as ya both pay attention, it never will."

Things were quiet. Chara and I just stood there in quiet contemplation of all we'd rapidly learned about ourselves and the world around us. It was an overwhelming amount of information, and we were being forced to take it all in at once.

"... Anyway, I won't keep you two much longer." Future sighed into the bitter silence of his castle. Chara and I must've looked like we were pouting, and C Frisk was clearly displeased, judging from their crossed arms and tapping foot. I s'pos I would be angry too if I was nice enough to beg a stranger to help a friend, only for that friend to turn the stranger's whole world upside down.

"Just a few more things to figure out, then you can head home for the day."

* * *

Aliza fidgeted as she sat on the bottom step that lead up to Toriel's home. She was slouched forward, elbows resting on her thighs and knees pulled tight together.

 _"You can stay outside if you want. I get it if you don't wanna see this."_

That had been what Anarchy had told her, in reference to the murder of Toriel. He had calmly explained to her that Toriel was not as she seemed, that she would poison and drug Aliza just to keep her weak and unable to escape. This news was not entirely surprising to her, but she couldn't deny that it stung.

Toriel had been the first one to accept her in The Underground, after all. She'd protected and cared for Aliza, but she couldn't deny the drops of madness she could see in the goat woman's eyes.

 _"That's where **you** come in, you lucky duckling you!" _

... Though, where Toriel had droplets, Aliza's 'best friend' had an ocean. That made her skeptical of what side she had chosen, but what option did she really have? It was Anarchy or death. That was the rule she had quickly learned in this place.

But, she supposed she might not have been being too fair to Anarchy. All he'd ever done is be kind to her thus far. He'd given her food, offered her friendship, and even let those spiders attack him to keep them away from her.

Granted that, didn't seem to affect him much...

A shiver rushed up Aliza's spine from the thought of those poor arachnids' fate. The terrible melty creature Anarchy had effortlessly turned them into, and the vicious beast that had devoured them. How many of those disturbing worms lurked under Anarchy's feet, Aliza wondered. Just how many monsters swam in the darkness that followed The Anarchist?

"... You didn't run?"

Aliza stirred from her thoughts, turning her head to look over her shoulder. Anarchy stood in the doorway of Toriel's home, staring down at her with genuine surprise written on his face.

"W-was I supposed to?" A hint of panic entered her voice as she swiftly climbed to her feet, standing at attention before The Anarchist. He laughed at her panic, shaking his head as the confusion disappeared from his face.

"No, of course not!" Smiling crookedly, Anarchy waved a hand dismissively. Then, some of that joy drained out of his face, leaving him with a slightly more serious expression. "I just kinda figured ya would."

"What kind of friend would do something like that..?" Aliza tilted her head to the side, squinting with a genuine lack of understanding. She didn't get Anarchy's thought process. If he expected her to be a friend, then why would he think she would run away?

"..." She didn't know why, but Anarchy smiled at that question. Then, instead of giving her an answer, he turned and looked back into the house. He waved over his shoulder for her to follow, wedging his free hand into his pocket. "C'mon, it's safe."

Safety, Aliza pondered. Certainly an unusual concept in the company of The Anarchist.

* * *

The rest'a the meeting had been all business. Exchanging contact information, discussing our next move and what role each of us would play. Future'd made it clear that it'd be up to us when our evil counterparts rolled up. He was the last pillar Monsterkind had in his world, so honestly it was a relief that Chara and I wouldn't have to worry about guarding him when we fight our other selves.

Speaking of worries, there'd been an awkward silence between Chara and I since we got back. They'd been pretty quiet after finding out that their future self did Genocide Part 2: Electric Boogaloo. Understandably so, I certainly didn't feel too great after figuring out I apparently abandon everyone. Again.

*I told you so.

I said goodbye to Chara and Asriel, and made my way out the front door. As I was walking down the front steps, however...

"... Hey, Cter."

"Hm?" I looked over my shoulder, cocking a brow at Chara. They stood at the doorway, slowly pulling the entrance closed behind them and standing outside with me. They didn't look any happier, which is why it surprised me that they were speaking. "What's up?"

"... Thanks." Chara adverted their gaze from mine, reaching up and scratching the back of their head. "For uh, sticking up for me back there, I mean."

I smiled at that. It was a pleasant surprise; I hadn't realized I'd done something thank worthy.

"It's no problem." I waved a hand dismissively, before my smile faded to an expression a bit more serious. "... I know you'd never do something like that."

"... Cter," Chara shut their eyes, sighing and crossing their arms. They didn't seem too reassured. "You've literally got a massive scar on your chest from me doing something _exactly_ like that."

"That was a long time ago." I defend easily, but Chara just seemed more irritated.

"As someone who has been around for quite awhile, I can tell you that six months is _not_ a long time." Chara frowned deeply, those red eyes narrowing scornfully at me.

"And as someone who has spent six months laid up in bed, I can tell you that six months is a _very_ long time." I responded with growing stubbornness, crossing my own arms.

I could tell they wanted to argue. Could see it in their eyes. They always fought me on these things, so I was surprised when, instead of snapping at me, they turned around and grabbed the doorknob behind them.

"... Whatever."

I wanted to stop them as they disappeared back into their home, but what could I say? What could I do other than provoke them and start a yelling match?

"..." I just sighed to myself as the door shut between us, spinning around and nodding to myself. From my shoulder blades my wings sprouted, and with one mighty flap I flew away.

* * *

"So what Badster said," Hacker spoke as he looked into the boiled noodles he was stirring, mixing them in with spaghetti sauce. "That had to have been a threat, right?"

"Oh, for sure. Nobody says you're gonna 'get exactly what you deserve' without meaning you're gonna 'get murdered'." The Demon leaned their back against the wall opposite to the stove on which Hacker was finishing his spaghetti. After a moment, they furrowed their brows with confusion. "I'm sorry, did you say Badster?"

"Yeah." Hacker looked over his shoulder as he turned off the stove, staring like it was obvious. "He's a Gaster, and he's bad. Badster."

The Demon snerked, crossing their arms. "Okay. Should I start calling you Badter?"

"Well, it sounds better than Badcker or Badgel, I'll give ya that." Hacker smiled playfully at them while stepping over to the cupboard to retrieve bowls. "Good idea, Badra."

"Cute." Demon stated with an amused smirk, stepping forward and taking the ceramic bowl that Hacker offered them.

"Sparkle~" Hacker responded with a half assed pose, using his free hand to make a horizontal V and put it over his eye.

"So why'd you feel the need to cook regular food again?" They asked, scooping spaghetti into their bowl with what was essentially a big spork. "You'll never be hungry with Monster food."

"You'll never be full, either." He shrugged his answer, letting them finish gathering their food before getting his own bowl full. "And there's only a few monster foods that aren't cat tails or sinews or something."

"You've got a point." Demon shrugged, the two making their way into the kitchen while they talked. "I guess Monster food is just more convien-..."

At the kitchen table, F Chara looked up from their finger nails, which they'd been inspecting lazily. They leaned back in their chair, feet rudely placed on the table. "Oh. Greetings."

In an instant, they were back flipping out of their chair, ink spiraling out from The Hacker's hood and crashing through their previous chair and the floor under it, sending splinters of wood flicking through the air. They landed on one knee, smiling maliciously up at the dynamic devil duo.

"Who are you?" Demon spoke, that murderous glare appearing in their eyes as they stared upon their elder counter part. Their knife appeared in hand from their inventory.

"Kinda looks like you." Hacker spoke in a careless tone, one hand extended with his ink and the other carefully holding his bowl of spaghetti. "Hey, Chara, what'd your mom look like?"

"... Er, dad?" Hacker squinted his eyes, craning his neck to try and get a better look at F Chara's facial features. "Maybe mom? I think? Possibly?"

"Cter how many times do I have to tell you I came out of a cabbage?" The Demon looked to their partner from the corner of their eye, sliding their own bowl onto the table to dedicate their focus on this new foe.

"Riiiight, riiiight." He nodded like he was remembering, all while watching F Chara stand back to their full height. They held their hand out to the side, letting their own knife manifest.

"Apologies, I didn't mean to interrupt your date." A mocking smirk appeared on F Chara's face as they watched the two with those ice cold rubies. "It's just that I have a bone to pick with the two of you."

"... _Is_ this a date?" Hacker asked without much expression, eyes glossing sluggishly over to Demon.

"Cooking and eating spaghetti at home?" The Demon cocked a brow over at their partner incredulously. "Maybe for people who've been married for thirty years."

"Ha." Hacker smirked with some amusement, before those lifeless emeralds landed back on F Chara. "Now what's this about picking bones?"

"To put it simply, you two are hunting on _my_ turf." F Chara's eyes narrowed, their jaw clenching and their red eyes narrowing furiously.

"And it's pissing me off."

* * *

"... Mm." Anarchy hummed thoughtfully, looking down at the snow of Snowdin from the exit of The Ruins, and then to Aliza's bare feet on the few remaining purple tiles. "Well this is a problem."

Aliza fidgeted nervously while she watched the gears shift in Anarchy's mind, Chaos Incarnate stroking his imaginary beard while he ran ideas through his head. She was officially weighing him down now, there was no doubt about it. With each passing second she convinced herself further that The Anarchist was going to cut her loose.

"... I mean, I'd give you _my_ shoes, but I don't think you wear fifteens." Anarchy furrowed his brows with displeasure at this revelation, puffing out his left cheek and keeping his thoughtful eyes on the purple tiles beneath the two.

"Well, then I guess there's only one thing to do."

Oh god, this was it. he was going to kill her. Would he crush her skull with that crowbar? Would he feed her to his darkness? Would he use that strange red mist to mutate her into some freakish beast? She was certain Anarchy's twisted imagination contained a million and one more ways to rip her life away from her, and that made her tremble.

She wanted to run, tuck her metaphorical tail between her literal legs and flee for her life. But to where? Anarchy's darkness followed everyone. It lurked in everyone's shadow, worms gnashing their jaws in every dark corner. Nooks, crannies. His reach spanned the galaxies. Any reality he was in he owned. These were things Aliza was certain of, just by watching how Anarchy carried himself. By looking into those reaper eyes and seeing the all powerful soul beneath. She'd never even seen him exert himself, but his presence alone had convinced her that he was a god among men, and a terror among gods.

... And, maybe there was something to be said about being killed by someone like that. To be a roach that could have been smashed by anything in the world, crushed under the toe of any thoughtless animal or malevolent child. And yet, of all those things, it would be the righteous sword of a god - beautiful and pure in its evil - that would strike her down.

Perhaps, the one special thing in her entire meaningless life, would be the death that her best friend would bestow upon her. Yes, she could make peace with that.

"... Well? What're you waiting for?"

A familiar voice shook Aliza from her melodramatic thoughts, and her stunned eyes drifted down to find that the all mighty was on one knee for her meek and useless self, looking over his shoulder to her with a curious expression. "Hop on."

Beasts, men, gods... They all received The Anarchist's fist. And yet, for a meager cockroach, he extended an open palm, a benevolent hand. This made Aliza smile. It made a single tear slip down her cheek. For the first time in ages, hopeful thoughts pervaded her mind.

Could someone as amazing as Anthony...

"... O-oh! R-right!" Swiftly Aliza wiped the tear from her cheek, stepping forward. Carefully she climbed onto Anarchy's back, awkwardly wrapping her arms around his shoulders to keep herself steady as he easily stood back up, not seeming bothered in the slightest by her added weight. "U-uhm... Thank you, A-Anthony..."

"Ay," Anarchy shrugged casually as he began to walk on into the snow, smiling with that mouthful of flesh tearing teeth. While this smile had scared her before, Aliza couldn't deny that it was growing on her. "What're friends for?"

... Really see something special in someone as unimpressive as her?

* * *

Future blinked his exhausted eyes up at the boring ceiling that loomed over him. Sleep had never been something that came easy to him. His thoughts had been too loud, ever since he was a little kid. This stage-varying insomnia had resulted in bags of inconsistent darkness under his eyes, from his adolescence to now.

A lifetime ago - at least, that's how it seemed these days - he'd asked Gaster for a way to cure his need to sleep. Gaster had laughed of course, as it was an absurd request. The good doctor had asked Future why he didn't just want something to help him sleep instead. Future had to explain to him that sleep was a waste of time.

That's how he'd viewed it, anyway, after being denied it's relief so many moons over. Medications dulled the noise of his thoughts and eased his nights over the years, but when there was something important on his mind, they did little to shut his brain up.

*A bullet through the head might help. It did wonders for me.

If only things were that easy, Future laughed mirthlessly. But he had his doubts that even a lethal hole in his cerebellum would shut his thoughts off. Not that he had the time to test such a thing anyway, he was far too important.

These days, Future hardly slept at all. Short naps through the days, six hours of sleep for every seventy two hours of being alive. his dreams were vague, but he always woke up drenched in freezing sweat. At least that was consistent in his chaotic life. A dull grey excuse for a silver lining.

Sometimes he heard voices, but didn't see people. Sometimes he saw people, but didn't hear anything when their lips moved. Monster Kid, Frisk, Gaster, Sans, Asgore...

... Chara.

The list of faces he saw in dreams matched the list of people he'd left behind. On a lucky day he'd see people who he was pretty sure were his parents, but their faces were blurry. It'd been so long since he'd abandoned them, he hardly remembered what they looked like.

When he was awake, he thought of everything he should have done. When he was asleep, he dreamed of all the people he could have saved. It was a perpetual cycle of coulda-shoulda that tortured him day in and day out.

But, lucky for Future, the earlier fight with The Chara-Cter gang had exhausted him. Finally he managed to shut his eyes on his dark bedroom, and he could feel his consciousness slipping into the back of his head in a rapid fall into sleep.

"Uhm... Cter?"

Future groaned, his lifeless emerald eyes creaking open to spot the grey-scale child. A deep frown creased his face and his brows furrowed furiously. "... Frisk you're so lucky you're ethereal."

"I'm sorry, I know it's late and I know you have trouble sleeping." Holding their hands behind their back and frowning with some concern, C Frisk held themself respectfully before the king. "But Chara's gotten themself into trouble. I figured you would want to know."

"My former friend my current employee or my future opponent..?" Future asked groggily as he sat up, rubbing his tired eyes with his index finger and thumb while his exhausted body grumbled and groaned at him.

"Former friend and, by extension, future opponent." C Frisk explained while taking a step back from Future's bedside, the final monarch standing and grabbing his button up shirt from his bedside table, where it'd been haphazardly tossed before he face planted into bed.

"Son of a mother fu..." Future mumbled, before shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath. He spoke once more while he buttoned up his shirt over the crater of a scar that formed a trench across his chest and abdomen. "Where?"

"Underground castle." They spoke quickly and clearly, Future stepping into his shoes while he summoned his bracer of multicolored pens over his wrist, straight out of his inventory.

"Alert the munchkins, get 'em here as quick as you can." Summoning his spear in his left hand, Future sliced through the air with his right. A rift opened in the air, shimmering with code. "I'll hold things down until they get here."

"Cter, are you certain this is a good idea?"

Future paused there, before the portal. He looked over his shoulder, not speaking. He only narrowed his eyes questioningly.

"This is a good opportunity to let two of your enemies destroy each other." Frisk's void eyes squinted emotionlessly then, perfectly aware of the chill in their tone. "Perhaps it would be wise not to put yourself in danger, and let Chara and Cter handle things once they arrive."

"... I let Chara down once. I'm not gonna do it again." With those words, Future stepped through his portal, disappearing from safety.

* * *

 _Damn it!_ F Chara slashed swiftly just to deflect each of The Demon's rapid fire stabs, back stepping quickly down the steps of Asgore's old home. After an upward parry, their younger counter part jumped into the sky, flipping over F Chara and landing a ways behind them.

 _They're too well coordinated as a team!_ F Chara thought as they spun, drawing their revolver and letting their DETERMINATION flare through its chamber, a bolt of red power bursting out the barrel, only for an F key to appear in its path, making the crimson bullet shatter and disappear.

 _If I can't find a way to separate them, then I'll be..!_ They turned around on their heel, slashing through the spear of graphite that one of the looming mechanical pencils had fired at their back, before their ruby orbs widened at the grey dust it shattered into, obscuring their vision and stinging their lungs.

 _I can't die yet..!_ F Chara coughed and sputtered, placing a hand over their mouth while their eyes darted around the smoke that surrounded them. _If they're able to get past me this easily, then Angel doesn't stand a-!_

The smoke exploded open, and F Chara's eyes darted over their shoulder to spot the Demon inches away, poised to strike. Their knife was darting forward in slow motion, racing to pierce the space between F Chara's shoulder blades.

... And then, it seemed a force caught The Demon out of mid air, and as their shock ridden eyes darted down to the orange arrow that had suddenly appeared on the ground between them and their elder self, it was as if a rising wind was pushing against them. First their hair started to blow back, then they were launched back away from F Chara, launching down the lawn and slamming into the grass, where they rolled and skidded to a stop.

"What the..?" Just as F Chara got a good look at the orange arrow that had forced The Demon to launch in the direction it pointed, it vanished. They weren't able to ponder for long, however, when a distantly familiar charging sound thudded against their ears.

With urgency F Chara spun around to face the Beat Blasters that loomed over head, jaw clenching with frustration as the three beams of white raced down to greet them. before F Chara had even jumped back, however, a wall of green light appeared between them and the blasts, stopping the searing assault in its tracks.

"How the-?"

"You've lost a step, Char-bear."

F Chara's eyes widened, darting over their shoulder as Future dropped down behind them, standing back to back as they awaited the next move from their adversaries.

"Cter?!" They exclaimed, before clenching their jaw. They wanted to turn to him and give him an earful for being dumb enough to come out here - to save THEM, of all people - when he had a kingdom to look over, but they had to remain facing the opposite way, eyes rapidly scanning for any sign of writing supplies. "I had this covered!"

"Well now it's more covered." Future's emerald eyes scanned the hills of Asgore's overgrown yard carefully, spear tight in his grasp. "Ain't I a nice guy for helping you out?"

"Banter later." F Chara gripped their knife with white knuckles, glaring at The Hacker, who was smiling quite calmly as he made his way down from the front doorway and into the yard, ink dancing in vicious points just over his shoulders.

 **"Gutter children now."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	30. Chapter 30: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

**Alright, I resurrect from my vacation! I hope everyone's been having a fun and spooky October, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **(Next chapter will be up the Sunday after this Sunday.)**

 **Thanks go to Andyfire123, Zack Frost, Wingah, Linki, 10burgers, BonelessSkele, Genowar, Jack54311, WhoWritesThisCrap, Lutkuttaja22, fergusans18, and EpicSlayerGuy9.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Horrortale.**

* * *

 _Crunch... Crunch... Crunch..._

Aliza's eyes darted from side to side, skeptically analyzing the shifting shadows of the woods that surrounded her and her best friend. She always hated the woods. Nothing good ever happened in the woods, and nothing good ever happened in the Underground. So, she was certain only double bad things could take place in the Underground woods.

 _Crunch... Crunch... Crunch..._

Anarchy, however, didn't have a care in the world. He carried her on his back without any effort at all it seemed, over extending his step over the large branch in his path. Aliza found that act of mercy odd from The Anarchist. The branch looked sturdy to a normal human, but her friend could crush mountains under his foot. She was certain it would have been effortless destruction for him, so why-?

 **SNAP!**

Aliza's eyes snapped open wide as she perked up, swiftly turning her head back over her shoulder to spot the shattered remains of the branch Anarchy had spared. Or, she'd thought he'd spared. But now there it lay, devastated in shards of brownish grey. Had Anarchy left some kind of... Power after image to destroy the branch? No, that was ludicrous. Or, it would have been for anyone other than The Anarchist.

 _Crunch... Crunch... Crunch..._

Taking a deep breath, she looked forward once more. Her best friend was not someone easily understood. What he could do and how he could do it was far beyond the mind of a cockroach like her.

 _Crunch crunch crunch!_

Once more Aliza jumped, head spinning right back around at the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind. But, to her shock, she found no one standing in the snow behind them. No one sprinting closer. It was apparent now, her and Anarchy were not alone. But what kind of beast would dare stalk The Anarchist..?

"U-um... A-Anthony..?" Aliza gulped as she dared speak, looking back down to the back of Anarchy's white mane of hair.

"I'll take care of it." A simple and to the point response. Anarchy hadn't even bothered to lift his head to look her in the eye when he gave it. But, nonetheless, it put Aliza at ease. If her best friend promised her something, she had faith he would follow through. She felt silly for even worrying, or ever thinking that Anarchy hadn't noticed the presence that lurked behind them.

 **"Huma-"**

Aliza nearly yelped as Anarchy thoughtlessly spun right around, that grin ripping up his cheeks and that lunatic light flickering on in his eyes. Without hesitation his pale hand flung up, gripping the outstretched palm of this stranger before a handshake could even be requested.

And what a strange stranger indeed. A skeleton with a flickering red eye and a chunk missing from his skull. His blue hoodie was filthy, and a crusty crimson coated the digits Anarchy had thoughtlessly snatched up in his ivory hand. But what most unsettled Aliza about this necrotic greeter was the effortless smile upon his face. What, she pondered, could anyone have to smile so earnestly about in this terrible place?

 _Drip... Drip... Drip..._

Shock grabbed Aliza tightly as her eyes glossed down to the handshake Anarchy had eagerly entered, her pupils shrinking as she spotted fresh streams of ruby trickling down her friend's ivory skin and this skeleton's filthy bones. From the back of The Anarchist's hand, a drill-like contraption protruded, whirring and attempting to spin, only to get caught on more of his flesh and choke on his blood.

This was absolutely stunning to Aliza. To think that someone could make Anarchy bleed, and that he would bleed the same color as everyone else. Did this mean that there were things even more powerful than The Anarchist in this horrific world? Were they both about to be at the mercy of this one eyed freak?

"Nice to meet'cha!" Anarchy exclaimed, vigorously shaking Horrortale Sans' hand up and down. His unyielding smile matched HT Sans' disgusting grin, and the walking biology display looked a little shaken by this.

"... Heh, well aren't you a friendly one?" Despite the drop of sweat trickling down the side of his skull, HT Sans kept his composure, eye darting down to Anarchy's bleeding hand before racing back up to his wide, crimson eyes. "Y'know I was actually tryin' to scare-"

"Scare?" Intrigue lit a fire in those ruby eyes, and that sweet smile curled and twisted wickedly as Anarchy leaned forward, invading HT Sans' personal space. Once more the skeleton's glowing pupil darted down to the handshake in which his phalanges were trapped, and more sweat formed on his brow when he pulled in vain on his hand, failing miserably at freeing it from Anarchy's grasp. "You wanna see something scary?"

"Let..! Go of me..!" His jaw was clenching with frustration now, and he swiftly threw his free hand into the air, one scarlet crusted meat cleaver darting from his sleeve and into his grasp. This made Aliza yip fearfully, not hesitating to hop off of Anarchy's back. She hardly felt the ice and snow on her bare feet, her mind entirely focused on the scene before her.

THUNK.

Aliza gasped, horrified tears building in her eyes as she reached up, covering her gaping mouth.

HT Sans had swung viciously, his cleaver wedging deep into the side of Anarchy's neck. Ivory locks dangled over The Anarchist's face as streams of red gushed down from his severed jugular, staining his snow white skin and soaking the left side of his shirt. Meanwhile Anarchy was stiff, unmoving and unresponsive.

HT Sans smiled gleefully, relief flickering briefly in that one crimson eye before it was overwhelmed by the iris's usual madness.

"Is that a yes..?"

HT Sans' sockets went wide, and Aliza was struck with paralysis as she watched Anarchy's mane of white lift, his head creaking up so that his eyes could peer into those of his next victim.

"What-?!" HT Sans choked when Anarchy's other hand darted forward, snatching him up by the collar of his shirt and yanking him into the air while The Anarchist straightened his back and stood to his full height. Sans lost his grip on that cleaver, leaving it lodged in his attacker's neck.

"Ahh..." The Anarchist smiled gently, tilting his neck effortlessly to one side as he let go of HT Sans' hand, reaching up to grip the handle of the blade hooked in his flesh. Then, without hesitation, he yanked it free, and streams of scarlet ichor spewed through the air, splattered over the snow at their feet. "Thanks for the donation."

"Hey, Aliza." She perked right up when Anarchy addressed her, standing at attention and nodding swiftly to show she'd heard him. "Got you a present."

"Eep!" Aliza jumped back when Anarchy haphazardly tossed the cleaver dripped in his ruby colors over his shoulder, and her eyes darted down to the blade when it lodged itself in the ground before her. She could see her measly reflection then, in Chaos Incarnate's pure red blood and the steel that had drawn it.

Yes, she understood now. Anarchy's blood looked they same as hers, but it was not the same. The two bled differently. Her blood had value, the more of it that was spilled the more of her life was drained. It meant something when she bled. But the spilling of Anthony's blood meant _nothing_. Anthony was eternal, his blood was infinite. He would paint the galaxies with his ruby shades to get what he wanted. No matter the wound, his life would never drain away. A god among men, a terror among gods.

"You think you're scary?" The Anarchist's voice was low, his throat growled with his wrath as the furious red eyes of god landed upon the skeleton who dared commit blasphemy. Scarlet misted from the missing chunk of Anarchy's neck, his flesh sealing. Sans struggled to no avail, kicking his feet desperately and feeling the chill that The Scorpion's eyes brought fall over him. "You wanna see scary?!"

Aliza was trembling, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Even as the obsidian worms writhed out from the hole in Sans' skull, from his terrified sockets. Even as he screamed and flailed in Anarchy's grasp while he was eaten from the inside out, his own darkness used against him. This was rare, after all. Not many got to witness The Anarchist's strength and live. She was lucky to be able to witness horrors like these.

She was watching something powerful. Something extraordinary.

Something beautiful.

 **Chapter 30: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly**

 _"Don't you know it's rude to hit someone when they're down?"_

* * *

Chara had certainly had trouble sleeping in the past, but this was ridiculous. Even blinking their eyes shut proved difficult. The dark ceiling was just too interesting, it seemed. Or rather, their thoughts were too loud. Their emotions inconsiderately ran wild and kept them awake.

But how were they supposed to just roll over and go to sleep after learning that not only are there versions of themself running amok after making the wrong choice six months ago, but that it seemed they were destined to make that same wrong choice themself? What was this if not an answer to the questions they'd been asking themself? What did this do other than confirm every fear they had? They knew now that it was no longer a matter of if, only when.

 _"It isn't your fault. It hasn't happened to you yet, and so long as ya both pay attention, it never will."_

What a crock of bullshit. Future should know better than anyone that they were a lost cause. He'd no doubt been the one who had to put down their future self. They could see it in his eyes, it hurt him to look at them. But Cter was a convincing actor, that much clearly wouldn't change in the next two decades. He was probably just concerned he'd lose Cter and their help if he'd told Chara they were better off dead.

 _"... I know you'd never do something like that."_

But what was worse than Future's concealed truths were the lies Cter so easily believed. Never do something like that? Did he have amnesia or was he just stupid? Of course they would do something like that! They'd done something like that a hundred and one times over! They were clearly going to do something like that again unless he got rid of them _now_!

 _"_ _If this is what you want then... I can't stop you from taking it. Because I can't kill you."_

... But Cter couldn't do that. And that baffled Chara. Why on Earth was he willing to risk so much for them? He'd given his life once and he'd been willing to do it again. And that didn't make sense. Why was he so afraid to give up on them? They were a risk to everything he had worked so hard for! Today they saw two realities where they had striped him of nearly everything he had, and _still_ he was willing to say they'd never do something like that?! Why couldn't he open his eyes?!

 _"... I don't want you to die..."_

... Maybe they were being a little hypocritical. They were the one who actually _had_ given up everything they'd worked for just to keep Cter's friendship. But what else could they have done? When he died, it... Hurt. A lot. In a way that they weren't used to.

... Or, at least, a way that they'd forgotten. In the time that they spent letting fear and sorrow turn to hatred before making the gamble that got both them and Asriel killed, and then again in the time they'd spent at Frisk's side, Chara had forgotten the agony that was watching someone you care about die. But once upon a time, it was a feeling that defined their life, and drove them up a mountain in hopes to never return.

But that was a lifetime ago. So many faces had came and gone and came again that the old ones were getting a little blurry. Voices Chara once thought unforgettable were turning to static. Anxious from this realization, they lifted their hand from under their blanket, gently taking hold of one of the auburn strands of hair that dangled over their face.

Their scarlet eyes watched the hair carefully, nearly crossing to keep their careful inspection going. Not that they were particularly focused on reality, this was more something to distract their body with while their mind ran laps. They'd hated shorter hair all their life. Hence why Cter's jabs at their 'Cabbage Patch hairdo' irked them so. But it had taken them quite some time to finally make the decision to start growing their hair, even though they could have the moment they first dropped into the Underground.

... But it was a hard lesson to un-learn. Long hair was 'girly'. And on the surface they grew up in, girly was a terrible thing to be. But Chara didn't like thinking about that. So they wouldn't.

...

So they wouldn't.

...

So. They. Wouldn't.

. . .

"God damn it." Chara groaned, sitting right up in their bed and not hesitating to summon their knife in one hand and gather up their excess hair in the other. The stupid hair wasn't worth the invasive thoughts, the sleepless nights, or the memories of their shitty upbringing.

But, though they were certain seconds ago, their blade paused against their auburn locks. In the wake of such a simple decision they were paralyzed. It should be easy, it was something absolutely trivial.

 ** _"You're very lucky to look the way you do, Chara."_**

 _Stop that. Stop that right now. It's been an age and a half, I don't need to cut my hair. This is **not** a big deal. _Chara clenched their eyes shut tight, knuckles locked around the extra tresses they'd spent six months growing out. Another part of the change they'd committed to half a year ago that they were terrified they were going to go back on.

 ** _"So long as you keep your hair short, no one can tell the difference..."_**

 _"But mom, I don't like looking like this... Why can't I dress like the other-?"_

 _Shut up shut up shut up!_ Chara grit their teeth, hands trembling now with the incredible weight of this silly cosmetic decision and all the memory vaults it opened in their head that they would have preferred welded shut.

 ** _"You are NOT LIKE the others! You are so incredibly lucky, don't you get it?! Why do you want to waste that?!"_**

 _"..."_

Chara gradually let go of their hair, let their blade drop back to their side with their now limp lying arms. Messily brown locks dropped around their face, shadowing their eyes while a deep frown settled over their lips.

 _ **"You're so special, Chara... All you have to do is tell one little white lie, and you can have a future so much brighter than all the other-"**_

 _Knock knock knock..._

Chara lifted their head damn near joyfully, throwing their hair back out of their face and sending their ruby eyes darting over to the wooden door that thudded with salvation from the memories that haunted them and the words engraved on their frontal lobe.

Asriel would certainly have something to distract them from their thoughts, Chara was certain as they climbed from their bed and sent their knife disappearing back into their inventory. Some silly video to show them on UnderTube or some big epiphany he had about one of his super hero comics. They could already feel their anxiety receding as they made their way to the door.

... Unfortunately, it looked like it spiked right back up when they opened the doorway and found me standing on the other side.

There I stood, the sleepless bags under my eyes darker than they'd been in a long time. My hands were stuffed in my jacket pockets, and I slouched forward some as I watched them with haggard green eyes.

"... Cter?" Chara squinted like they really weren't sure it was me, clearly befuddled to see me standing in their home at two in the morning. "What are you doing here?"

I didn't speak. Wasn't sure what to say after our last encounter, and I wasn't sure how to properly present this information. So, instead, I nodded towards the monochromatic child that stood at my side.

Chara's scarlet orbs went wide as they landed upon C Frisk, before narrowing with some measure of contempt.

"... Ah fuck."

* * *

Future stood tall in the swaying, waist high grass with the butt of his spear planted firmly in the dirt, white knuckles wrapped around its handle. Hawk-like emerald eyes glossed over the shifting vegetation that The Demon had disappeared into, and a deep frown settled into the face of the king.

A sudden rustle from behind was all it took for a green orb to burst to life around Future, and The Demon snarled with frustration as the point of their blade was stopped dead against the wall of virescent light. Swiftly they jumped back as the bubble of KIND energy burst with force that sent the grass whipping back away from Future, who spun back around to face them while they flung back through the air.

The king lifted his free hand to the mid-air Demon, quickly clenching it into a tight fist and forcing their crimson soul to shift to a more sapphire shade. They stopped dead in mid air, head whiplashing back before they tilted it forward again, snarling furiously at Future. His highness didn't seem too bothered by this glare, his expression unmoved as he pulled his fist towards himself and immediately dragged The Demon by their soul right back through the air to him.

Hair flinging back from their rapid acceleration towards Future, The Demon barred their fangs and prepared themself. The soul grip was annoying, but it was a trick they knew like the back of their hand. So when the king cocked back his spear and prepared to impale them while they raced forward, they were quick to open one palm wide and grip their knife tight in the other hand.

Just as Future stabbed out at them, The Demon grabbed the handle just under the point of the royal weapon, acrobatically pushing from it and flipping over the spearhead that'd nearly skewered them, slashing downward at the king in retaliation.

Future side stepped the slice, which carved a crimson streak through the air, The Demon landing crouched. Without skipping a beat he swung at Demon with the tip of his spear, but they ducked back under the swing, landed on both hands, and sprung right back up at Future with a kick. The king's eyes widened, twitching with pain as they planted both feet firmly in his abdomen, before jumping back off of him and throwing back their knife wielding hand, letting their blade disappear and a revolver reappear in their grasp.

Just as the Demon took aim on his highness, he once more threw his free hand down, yanking them by their blue soul to the earth, where they landed skillfully, wincing some and being forced to drop one knee just before Future shoved his hand forward, sending an invisible force slamming into their body and pushing them back rapidly across the ground, effectively putting more distance between the two.

The Demon kept their feet planted, and though their teeth were grinding, one knowing smile tugged up their lips into an unsettling expression. After another few seconds of sliding they came to a stop, and their sapphire soul turned back to ruby. This made Future squint as he lowered his arm, watching his opponent for their next move.

"I think I figured it out." The Demon spoke to their adversary, who didn't seem the least bit interested in talking.

"Neat." Future spoke sarcastically, expression unmoved as he walked through the matted and torn up grass towards Demon, spear gripped tight in his hand.

"You're a Cter, aren't you?" Narrowing their eyes, The Demon tilted their head to the side with a small smile. "And the other one is your Chara. Am I right?"

"Congratulations, you cracked the code." Future's tone was dry, haggard eyes unblinking. "Why do ya care, exactly?"

"I guess I'm just a little confused. Your timeline is beyond strange." Keeping those scarlet, reptilian orbs on the king, The Demon shook their head slowly. "You're nothing like my Cter, yet your Chara still acts a lot like me."

"Oh boy here we go..." Future grimaced, eyes darting to the side.

"It's certainly intriguing, because it looks to me like back when you were my age, you stuck to doing all the 'right' things that everyone wanted you to do." Then, that mocking smile grew upon The Demon's face. It reached from ear to ear, flashed every ounce of their wicked soul. "And it still blew up in your face. You still lost _everything_."

In the next instant The Demon was wide eyed, leaning to the side and letting Future's spear fling by their head. Their red orbs followed the spear's path subconsciously, and as soon as they refocused and let their eyes dart forward once more they were stunned to find the king had closed the distance between them, his expression one vicious snarl and his fist cocked back with righteous fury.

His knuckles blasted into The Demon's cheek, and their skull shook from the force of the impact, a single red stream spewing out from between their lips. Then, it was as if time sped back up, and they were sent flipping and skidding through the dirt, ripping grass from the earth and staining their clothes with shades of brown and green.

"... Ahem." Future took a deep breath, standing up straight once more while he casually adjusted his sleeve, seeming to have to reroll some of it after the velocity with which he'd thrown his fist.

"Ehehehe..." The Demon giggled shamelessly while they gradually climbed to their feet, wiping blood from their chin with the back of their fist. "Alright, I suppose I earned that one."

"Sure did." Future spoke calmly, strolling over to where his spear had embedded itself in the dirt and tugging it up from the earth.

"Just one more curiosity." Demon held that knife out to their side, and they and the king began to circle one another.

"Curiosity impaled the bastard child." Future shrugged, exhausted frown on his face while he kept the point of that spear aimed at his opponent. "Fair warning."

"If you're a Cter, then where's the pens? The ink, the laser light show?" Demon seemed genuinely curious now. Future figured that made sense. If they thought he was holding back, boy would they be insulted.

With that in mind, his highness smiled like a scoundrel does, and spat the venom on his tongue. Another lie, sure, but this one might just feel good.

"You're just too weak for me to need it."

* * *

Rapidly F Chara raced up the overgrown path to the doorway in which The Hacker stood. They weaved and darted between pens and bolts of led, before lunging at him with their blade yanked back. Skillfully Hacker ducked back out of the way of the stab, hands never leaving his pockets and condescending smirk never leaving his face.

F Chara landed on their feet, not skipping a beat in spinning on their heel and swinging one leg at Hacker in a roundhouse kick, which he was quick to kneel under. The moment his knee touched the ground, ink exploded up in a barrage of vicious spikes, stabbing up at F Chara, who flipped back out of the doorway, landing on their palms and springing from those to land back on their feet.

F Chara wasted no time, darting forward once more just as two Beat Blasters fired from above, exploding through the earth behind them and leaving a smoldering crater in their wake. They paid the blast no mind, however, once more closing the distance between themself and The Hacker.

Rapidly and skillfully they slashed and stabbed, flipping their blade from position to position in their hand. Up, down, forward, back. But even more rapid and even more skillful were Hacker's movements, weaving elegantly between every attack. His eyes narrowed with some reserved fury, however, when he tilted his head to the side to let his opponent's blade slice by and a cut opened on his cheek. A few loose strands of hair were shaved free, delicately drifting towards the earth while a ruby stream slipped down from his cheek to his chin.

Indignantly Hacker reached up, gripping F Chara's extended arm in vice like fingers, his murderous eyes piercing into their stunned red orbs. Swiftly F Chara glanced down to the open palm Hacker suddenly held at their abdomen, and when their eyes spotted the rapid writhing of black liquid down his bicep and forearm they knew exactly what was to come.

But just as ink speared from Hacker's arm, F Chara summoned their burnt frying pan, holding it in the space between the pressured beam of black liquid and themself. They ground their teeth from the exertion, pan shaking in their grasp while ink spewed in streams back out around The Hacker like a spoon held under running water.

Just when they thought their grip was going to give out, however, F Chara was surprised to see The Hacker release their arm and jump to his right, his ink flow coming to a stop and giving them what they foolishly believed to be a moment's reprieve. This idiotic thought was immediately scolded by the massive pencil eraser that shot from the earth behind them, bashing into their back and giving them an unfathomably harsh shove, sending them blasting into Asgore's old home and exploding into the wall above the stairs leading down to the basement pathway.

The Hacker smirked wickedly as he stood, watching the smoke that had exploded out around F Chara's collision begin to settle. Holding his arms out to his sides in an arrogant shrug, he sauntered into the home and towards the dissipating dust.

"That all you got, I-Don't-Really-Char-Bear?" Hacker called out as he reached the stairwell, gripping the railing and leaning over to look down to the steps he presumed F Chara's limp body had dropped down onto. "I know you're gettin' old, but come-!"

"..." The Hacker's expression soured significantly, however, when he noticed the staircase was utterly Chara-less, spotting droplets of blood leading down to the basement passage. "... On."

Grumbling with aggravation, Hacker hopped the railing, dropping right down after his adversary.

* * *

 _Where are the goddamn munchkins?_ Future clenched his jaw with frustration and impatience, sweat beading down his forehead as he was forced to step back over and over, rapidly deflecting stabs and slashes with the shaft of his spear. He'd certainly pissed The Demon off with that earlier statement about them being too weak. At this rate, it was looking like he _would_ have to use his magic if he wanted to live.

Really, he should have been using it from the start. His life was immeasurably more important than his silly principles. But, that contradicted the kind of person he was trying to become. A man of his word. Future had been gifted his magic all those years ago to protect the Monsters. He had failed, so he didn't deserve to use it anymore.

... Not unless it was to destroy the one who'd murdered his friends and family in cold blood. The one he'd originally gotten his powers to defeat. The entire reason he existed in this world. It was funny. Those days all seemed so far away, they had for a long time. An entire millennia ago, he could have believed.

 _Crash!_

But as Future's eyes darted over his shoulder to the dust billowing out from the front of Asgore's home, he decided now was no time for reminiscing. This situation was looking more and more grim by the second. They were lucky enough to separate The Demon and The Hacker, but Future's body was weak with sleep deprivation, and Chara was surely exhausted after having to survive against the both of them in tandem before this fight even began. And now Hacker was pushing his fight with Chara further from Future, which brought him even more worry. If Hacker was able to defeat Chara, it would be bad for both Future's mental and physical health, considering the very next thing he would do is race here and assist The Demon in murdering him.

"Pay attention!"

Future gasped sharply, leaning back and narrowly avoiding a savage slice that severed his black tie and carved an opening in the chest of his shirt, just barely missing his actual skin.

"These clothes are expensive, you know." Future narrowed his eyes with some aggravation, attempting to joke his way out of his anxieties as he stepped back out of the way of another slash. "How am I supposed to look like a functioning adult now?"

"In a!" The Demon ducked under a stab from Future's spear, yanking back their knife and jabbing right at his chest. "Body bag!"

Future growled with pain as he narrowly side stepped, Demon's knife embedding itself into his right shoulder and sending red streaking through his white sleeve in an instant. In furious retaliation he grabbed them by the collar of their shirt, yanked back his head, and smashed his forehead against theirs with skull shaking force. Future didn't feel much, his head was mostly numb from lack of sleep. Demon, on the other hand, was clearly seeing stars as they stumbled back, eyes blinking out of sync.

This momentary opening was exactly what Future needed, as he swiftly planted one foot in their chest and sent them launching across the yard and to the wall of stone that bordered it's right side, which they crashed into, sending pebbles and dust spewing out around them. The king wasted no time lifting his free hand and showing that bracer, which shun an orange light. This light appeared in the form of two copper arrows on the ground, the first pointing to Future from just in front of The Demon's impact smoke, and the second right before his highness, pointing towards the damaged home across the way.

In the next instant, The Demon fired at a stunning velocity from the smoke on the path of the arrow, their limbs flailing behind them from the massive whiplash of their sudden motion. But just as they gathered themself and prepared their blade to stab at Future when they reached him, the second COURAGE arrow caught them. They were sent launching right across the lawn and exploding through the doorway of Asgore's home, where they smashed into the same wall their future counterpart had been knocked into moments ago.

Body now trapped in the dry wall, shattered wooden studs and metal pipes, The Demon grunted with pain. They managed to crack open one eye and lift their head just in time to spot Future firing on the same orange arrow right at them, reaching speed they hardly had time to react to.

One arm gripping the stab wound of it's opposite shoulder, Future slammed foot first into The Demon's abdomen, pushing them deeper into the wall while their eyes snapped open wide and their jaw dropped, the air blasting up out of their lungs. Shrunken pupils trembled in their eye sockets, and streams of blood stained saliva trickled down their chin.

But as Future yanked his spear overhead to pierce their skull and put them out of his misery, his brows furrowed with hesitation and his jaw clenching with a poorly timed internal conflict. This shouldn't have been hard, he scolded himself. Death and murder was an easy concept for him, it had followed him his entire life. The reaper had been chasing him since he was a kid.

*And you just keep tripping people around you to get away from him.

That was true. Everyone close to Future had either died or was gonna die one of these days. But he was still here. He always got away, and no one else ever did. How long before it was everyone? Before Monsterkind was completely washed away, before he finally killed Chara like he was created to do, before-

 _Stop it!_ Future clenched his eyes shut, and his trembling fingers tightened around his spear. _I don't have any time for this melodramatic bullshit! I have to keep going, I have to keep working!_

But for what? Everything he ever tried at either failed or played out wrong. Everything he'd ever touched turned to garbage eventually. It was only a matter of time before this king thing fell through.

 _Shut up shut up shut up!_ Future was screaming in his own head now. He felt like he was going mad, a result of the sleep deprivation-depression-anxiety-guilt cocktails he'd been gulping down lately. Drinking. Yes, that was it. He just needed a few drinks out of his flask, and everything would start to make sense again. The pain would dull, the thoughts would slow. He just needed a-

Surprise shot Future in the heart when he opened his eyes to find a revolver barrel inches from the space between his eyes. What a snap back to reality. He might've laughed, if he wasn't so suddenly aware of his mortality and everything he was about to lose. He had a hunch he wouldn't be coming back this time; didn't have the DETERMINATION he had when he was a kid. Half'a the time he had to push away thoughts that told him he _wanted_ to die.

But now, so suddenly finding his demise at hand...

Now _that_ was funny. He couldn't even die right.

 **BANG.**

* * *

 _Son of a-!_ F Chara snarled, slashing away one paper airplane before jumping back, evading the patch of pens that burst from the tile where they had just been standing. They skidded back on their feet, glaring into the dark of the hallway before being jolted by the light that suddenly glowed from within the shadows. _Was fighting Cter always this damn annoying?_

Swiftly F Chara threw their arms up to shield themself from the blast, white hot energy smashing into them and knocking them right off their feet. They were thrown down the passage way, being knocked out of the shadows and landing flat on their back. They slid out onto the walkway that overlooked the abandoned city below, panting with exhaustion for a moment while cold sweat crept down their face and warm blood down their forearms.

Gradually they pushed themself up on their hands, sitting up and glaring into the one glowing red eye that stared from the darkness. Footsteps echoed out from the black, that crimson orb unblinking in its murderous stare as it approached. F Chara growled, swiftly drawing their revolver and aiming right at that unfeeling gaze. Before they could pull the trigger, however, ink lashed out from the vantablack, and their gasp was cut short when it snatched them up by the throat, pulling them off the ground and shoving them out over the ledge. The ink wrapped like a boa constrictor around their throat then, keeping them dangling over a couple hundred foot drop by the neck.

"Ah ah, can't have that." Hacker's voice rang all too cheerfully, like he was half ass scolding a toddler. As he stepped from the dark hall and onto the walkway, he leaned down, scooping up the gun that F Chara had dropped when they were so suddenly yanked into the air and carefully looking it over. "I know Chara's tend to be real crack shots."

"I, however, ain't got the steadiest hand." Hacker smiled convincingly while F Chara choked and sputtered, tearing in vain at the liquid with their hands, more immediately replacing whatever they sent splattering to the ground. After a few moments of letting them struggle, Hacker's ink wrapped around their wrists as well, inspiring furious leg kicking and more pointless struggling.

"If _I_ wanna hit a target..." That smile was nothing but evil now as Hacker's ink receded and slowly dragged F Chara back towards him. They glared as their face began to turn shades of blue, eyes growing bloodshot and starting to pop out of their head. But the fury in their eyes did not die down. In fact, in what could be a final act of defiance, it ignited further when they where pulled within arms reach of The Hacker. He didn't seem bothered in the slightest by this, however. He just smiled and smiled, even as he pressed that revolver barrel to their forehead.

 _ **"I gotta get up real close, see?" **_

**BANG.**

* * *

"Agh!"

Future dropped back onto the railing behind him, gasping loudly after the burn in his chest reminded him that he needed to breath. Thoughtlessly he ran his hands over his face, eyes wide and unblinking with confusion. It just didn't make sense; he'd heard a gunshot, but he couldn't find any new holes in his skull.

"How the-?" The Demon snarled, gripping their now bleeding palm while their wrathful red eyes darted around the room. Just before they'd popped open his highness's head, one DETERMINED red bullet had torn through their hand and knocked their gun out of their grasp.

"Old Cter." A voice cut in, and both Future and The Demon looked to the hallway that lead to Asgore's living room. There they saw Chara, scarlet orbs locked on Demon from down the barrel of their own pistol. There was a deep frown engraved in their face and not a drop of hesitation in their eyes. "Get out of here. Now."

"Perfect timing, munchkin..." Future panted lightly, his heart rate still slowing down and his body aching with exhaustion. He pushed himself from the railing and leaned down, grabbing the spear he'd dropped when Chara's gunshot rang out before standing back to his full height.

"Yup." Chara's response showed just how little they were listening to Future and just how focused they were on The Demon. When Future looked up at Chara's less than paragon other self, he could see they were just as dead set on this new player in their game. Seeing this, Future figured anything else he could say would've been pointless, so he instead quickly made his way down the rest of the staircase and disappeared from sight.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Venom dripped from The Demon's tongue as they yanked themself out of the wall, jumping out from the staircase and back to the entrance room.

"I'm the good guy." Chara responded dryly, shutting one eye to aim down the barrel of their gun.

 **"Now hold still."**

* * *

"Gah!"

F Chara gasped as they dropped to the ground, flat on their back and inhaling air desperately. The ink that once restrained them splattered down around them, staining their clothing. Their eyes clenched shut tight, sweat pouring down their face while life slowly crept back into their limbs. They couldn't open their eyes, couldn't crawl away. To them the world surrounding disappeared, all they could do was try to get air back to their vital organs.

"Alright, who has the nuts?!" An expression far too smug just a second ago was now furious as The Hacker held his left shoulder, which had a bolt of graphite embedded in it. The shot had caught him off guard, firing a single second before he could pull the trigger and disabling his shooting arm in a less than civil manner.

"Joe."

Hacker growled, looking down the walkway to find me walking with purpose towards him, hands clenched into fists at my sides. His expression turned from a snarl to a smirk when he recognized my face as his own, and my word registered in his ears.

"What, are you serious? You think I'm gonna fall for that?" Hacker winced as he spoke, gripping the spike buried in his arm and slowly dragging it out of his flesh. A red mist gently floated up from his wound, and the blood that trickled down his arm slowed to a stop. "I'm you, bro. It's gonna take a little more to get me with that j-"

Hacker's eyes widened then, and he ducked quickly as two pens fired over his shoulders. He turned his head, watching them sail off while chuckling arrogantly. Just as he turned his head back to look at me, he caught a hard knee with his nose, making his face scrunch up with pain as he was knocked back from the force of the collision. He sailed a few feet through the air, before landing flat on his back and grabbing his aching face while he snarled furiously.

I smiled just a little as I watched him writhe and heard him mutter a chain of curse words, squaring my footing and lifting one clenched fist. From the spaces between my fingers ink ran in streams.

 **"Joe mama."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	31. Chapter 31:KINDNESS Is Also Four Letters

**Okay, so I know I said I'd update four days ago, but! My internet went down for several days leading up to Sunday, and in the week prior to that I'd been very busy. So by Sunday I had probably only like 2,000 words of what was going to be a nearly 7,000 word chapter. I know my updates have been a little sporadic lately, and I can't promise they're going to get better. Unfortunately my life is a tad hectic right now. All I can say is that I really want this story to progress because I am VERY excited for the rest of this arc and the arc immediately following it. So I'm trying my best to move as fast as I can while also maintaining quality in every chapter I post.**

 **I've been a little unsure of how exactly I've wanted recent chapters to play out as well, so that adds brainstorming to the process of typing, which slows things down more. But now, as we approach the second half of this arc, I'm getting a better idea of how things are going to go, which means things will move faster.**

 **With all that said, expect the next chapter either next Thursday or, if not then, then the Sunday after that. So within the next seven to ten days.**

 **Enjoy the chapter! I'm excited to see what you all think of it in the reviews!**

 **Thanks go to Skele, Monkey D. Chimera, 10burgers, GrayK, Zack Frost, Jack54311, Wingah, bignibba552, PaperWorld, Genowar, Linki, Stillnyte, Anonymous, ririri, and NBoss01.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"So... Am I seeing double, or... Are there seriously two other world Cters in my timeline..?"

My eyes glossed over from Hacker's writhing form to the one who sat up to my right, still panting for breath and holding a hand over their throat. It was pretty easy to tell who they were, what with the red eyes they winced up at me with and the striped shirt they wore. It amazed me that Chara's fashion sense hadn't changed at all over the past decade and a half.

"... You this timeline's Chara?" My emerald orbs were a little less than welcoming or accepting as I looked upon the one who'd set off my own Chara's anxieties just by existing.

"No, I'm actually the Onion-San here." F Chara narrowed their eyes with their sarcastic bite. Made sense that they were pissed even though I'd saved them, it was apparent in my eyes that I didn't like 'em. And that was fine that they knew that, if I'd wanted it to be a secret I would've been a lot more convincing. Instead, I looked at them like they were an animal. A disgusting, frothing creature that had chomped at one of my friends.

"Cute." I smiled in a way that lacked mirth or friendship, but it faded away seconds later, like it only ever existed to tell them I was _not_ happy with them. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I-?" F Chara looked at me like I was an idiot, furrowing their brows and tilting their head before shouting furiously. "I _live_ here! You're the one from another dimension, fuck are you doing here?!"

Before I could respond, a familiar electric hiss reminded me that we were not alone, and I threw up one arm, turning my eagle eyes ahead to the wall of keys that I summoned in the path of Hacker's Beat Blaster's ray of white hot destruction. A cone of ivory energy sprayed out around F Chara and I, scorching the stone walkway on which we stood.

"We need to have a serious talk later. Until then..." I threw my hand out to the side as the flashing lights subsided, making the half melted wall of keys disappear just as quickly as it had came. Across from us I could see Hacker now, and he looked like he was very much ready to get this show on the road.

"I'm tagging in."

 **Chapter 31: KINDNESS Is Also Four Letters**

 _"Come on, you couldn't really kill yourself, could'ja?"_

* * *

" _Another_ me?" The Demon spoke over the sound of gunshots, darting forward and swiftly weaving between shots as they closed the distance between themself and... Well, themself. They held their knife low to the ground until they reached Chara, who leaned back and out of the way just as Demon slashed up at them. "What do _you_ want?"

As Chara leaned back, a tough glove appeared on their right fist, and they swung right at Demon's head, only for them to raise their forearm and block the incoming knuckles. The two locked eyes then, from opposite sides of the tracks.

"... Answers." Chara finally responded just as the two jumped back away from one another, eyes never blinking.

"You've got an interesting way of asking questions." Demon stung, bending their knees and holding their knife tight while they waited anxiously for the next move.

"Why are you doing this?" Chara's question was scoffed at immediately, and their glare only grew more intense as they watched their doppelganger roll their eyes.

"If you're really me, then you should know that's a dumb question." Demon's red orbs were an emotionless void, an iced over window to the blackened soul beneath.

Chara wanted to snap back with something witty, but they knew The Demon was right. That question _was_ stupid. They knew exactly why The Demon did everything they did, they understood all of their philosophies perfectly. It was their own lifestyle that they didn't get. These days it seemed like Cter could make better sense of their thoughts than they could.

... Cter.

Chara narrowed their eyes with a new kind of contempt now, their jaw clenching and their knuckles whitening around the handle of their blade. They knew what they wanted to ask now.

"Your Cter." The reserved fury was clear in Chara's voice, and The Demon's eyebrows rose with intrigue when they heard it. "How did you convince him to be like you? What did you _do_?"

"Convince him? Ha!" The Demon smiled wickedly, tilting their head to the side. "He was _always_ like me. Like _us_. I just got him to stop lying."

"What did you do?!" Chara took a step forward, more anger rising into their tone as they repeated their question.

"Hey, hey! Relax!" Grinning like they thought this was hilarious, Demon rose their hands defensively while they took a step or two back. "I didn't _do_ anything! All I did was make him an offer."

"An offer..?" Chara repeated skeptically, squinting their eyes and scanning their evil double for any tells of dishonesty.

"When he challenged me to a fight for all eternity. I'm guessing your Cter did the same?" Smiling knowingly, The Demon tilted their head to one side.

"... Seven hundred and fourteen times." Chara spoke under their breath, beginning to feel a pit opening in their stomach at the distant memories Demon was stirring up.

"And on the seven hundred fifteenth reload, when Gaster intervened, I extended an olive branch." Demon held out their hand then, mimicking the offer they'd made to their Hacker all those months ago. They recited their words, " _Come with me, Cter_."

"... And let us make this multiverse our own..." Chara had gone pale in the face, staring with haunted eyes at their double while they whispered the rest of their offer. They realized where this story was going, and they did _not_ like it.

"Cter's a smart guy. He knew I was making him an offer that he couldn't refu-!" Demon was cut off, a fist slamming into their cheek and making their scarlet orbs snap open wide, a stream of blood flinging from their lip as they stumbled back.

"You bastard!" Chara cried out furiously, taking a step forward and raising their knife over their head, stabbing down at The Demon. The less than virtuous doppelganger was quick to lift their forearm however, blocking Chara's stab by catching their wrist. Chara cocked back their fist and swung at Demon's head, but they caught that as well, leaving the both of them grunting and snarling in a power struggle, their arms trembling and pushing against one another.

"Why are you..! So mad..?!" Demon demanded to know, mouth curling up in a berserk smile as blood trickled down their chin, a crimson shade misting up from their split lip and sealing it. "Don't tell me you screwed up and killed your Cter..!"

"My Cter saved me from being a monster like you!" Chara cocked back their head before sending it slamming forward into Demon's forehead and making them lean their head back, wincing as ruby streams quickly began trickling down their face.

" _Saved_ you?!" Demon caught themself, teeth gritting with new discovered rage before they jabbed upwards with their knee, sending it crashing into Chara's abdomen and making the wind spew up and out of their lungs. The Demon let go of Chara then, joining their fists together over their head and swinging them down at their other self's back, crashing into their spine with enough force to make them drop to one knee. "So what, you're some damsel in distress now?! You make me sick!"

Chara snarled at that, unhesitating in summoning their revolver in their free hand and firing a bullet right into The Demon's shoe while they were on one knee, making Demon's eyes snap open wide, pupils shrinking with the sudden pain of having a hole blown in their foot. Chara used this opportunity to jump up, smacking the back of their head into Demon's chin and making them lean back, eyes wincing shut.

"You!" Now back on their feet, Chara yanked back their knife, sending it plunging right into Demon's diaphragm and making them hunch forward. They were paralyzed then, blood slowly rising out over their bottom lip and pouring down their chin before Chara yanked their blade free, spun around, and sent their heel slamming into Demon's cheek. "Make _me_ sick!"

The Demon flung back through the air in a spiral, crashing head first through the railing that guarded the staircase that lead below and tumbling down onto the steps, where they lay prone on their back.

 _Damn it..!_ Slowly Demon reached up, wiping away blood from their chin. They could feel the searing, tearing pain in their abdomen beginning to dull, and when they peeked one eye open they could see ruby misting up from what would have been a mortal wound if not for their DETERMINATION. But this regeneration was temporary. Another strike like that and they would be out of luck. _What was that..?!_

They didn't really understand as they propped themself up on their hands, grunting with exertion. If this was really some goody two shoes sell out version of themself, then there's no way that this Chara would be as strong as them. But judging by the speed and force of that combo, they were not only even with the Demon, they were...

Demon snarled as they pushed themself up on one knee, glaring up at the shadow that suddenly fell over them.

 _... Lucky shot._

* * *

I ran low to the ground, darting between bolts of lead and closing the distance between me and The Hacker. A patch of pens blasted from the stone beneath me, and I jumped into the air, spinning down towards him with an ax kick. Ink whipped from my pant leg, slashing down with my kick and slicing into the concrete as Hacker jumped to the side, landing with his back to the drop to the city below.

I landed on one knee, quickly reaching out to him and clenching my fist. Hands in his pockets, Hacker hopped right back over the edge as my pens shot out from the earth under him. My eyes narrowed as I watched him disappear, and I placed one hand on the ground to push myself back to my feet, quickly running after Hacker and diving over the edge after him.

Ink poured out from my pant legs, attaching to the brick that I fell by and allowing me to surf vertically after The Hacker, who I spotted doing the same trick further down the wall that we were descending. I bent at the knees, accelerating after him and holding my left arm out to the side, manifesting one double ended spear of black ichor.

Smirking confidently, The Hacker uncrossed his arms and aimed his palms up towards me, revealing the mechanical pencils braced with ink to the undersides of his arms. In the next instant graphite bolts were rapid firing up towards me, and I was leaning from side to side, slipping and sliding around the barrage before yanking back that spear of ink and whipping it down at my doppelganger.

That smirk went away real quick, Hacker's eyes going wide as he was forced to lean back like he was in The Matrix, that spear soaring just over his head. I took this golden opportunity then, kicking off from the wall and spinning, gravity yanking me foot first down towards The Hacker, who lifted his head back up just in time to catch my heel on his jaw. He disconnected from the wall too then, and the both of us plummeted to the concrete sidewalk below, leading with his skull under my shoe.

We collided with a blast of force, dust and shards of stone blasting up into the air around us, all while cracks exploded up the wall behind us.

Then for a moment or two, all was silent. The dust started to settle, the high flying pebbles clattered to the ground, and then...

I burst from the peak of the dust plume on an arch, slowly dropping back towards the cracked and slightly overgrown street, landing on my feet and skidding back some. Immediately after my landing, hundreds of different ink whips lashed wildly out from the smoke, swinging and slashing aimlessly in a futile attempt to strike me. After a few seconds, the ink receded back into the settling cloud, realizing that I was hopelessly out of range.

With narrowed eyes I watched Hacker's cover disappear, finding him on his feet with DETERMINATION misting up from the side of his head. Blood trickled down from his hairline, painting the right side of his furious expression in a crimson mask. And boy howdy did he look _pissed_.

"You..." There was nothing but loathing in his tone, those iced over emeralds crackling with an enraged flame as they glared at me. "Who are you? What are you even doing here?!"

"I'm a you that chose to stop being an asshole." My fingers curled into a fist, cold eyes never leaving The Hacker. "Now I'm here to kill you because you make me look bad."

"I make you look bad?" Hacker repeated with furrowed brows, before his expression lightened and a venomous smile appeared. I deduced he must've made some kind of realization, and he spoke to confirm my hypothesis. "Oh, you mean I'm gonna blow your cover?"

"What are you talking about?" I narrowed my eyes, skeptical of the words I already knew were coming.

"Let me guess, you stuck to your guns, right?" Hacker tilted his head to the side, poison green eyes squinting at me. "Got your 'happy ending' by defeating Chara and RESETing the timeline?"

"Well, I mean. It took a little more than that." My eyes glossed to the side, and I gave a lazy shrug.

"Oh, so you're an even more special one, eh?" Hacker threw up his hands in a way that was only defensive to be mocking. "You had one'a the Charas that came back, so you had to kill 'em twice?"

"Actually, I spared my Chara." I corrected, crossing my arms. I was getting tired of him talking; felt like I was shutting down whatever point he was trying to get to with my corrections. And while that did bring satisfaction, it'd be a lot more satisfying to bury my knuckles in this jackass's cheek.

"... Oh." At first I thought his delayed response came from Hacker realizing he was making an ass of himself, but then I recognized that tone as hatred. Contempt. Envy. "So you really _are_ a rare case."

"Apparently-?" I was halfway through a shrug when Hacker cut me off, his expression hardened with reserved fury.

"Got your super happy ending. All your friends, Chara... You even got those wings you were dreamin' of." Ah, that's where that indignation was coming from. Gotta admit, I'd be pretty pissed too if I found out another version of me got wings and I didn't.

"... So. Do they know?"

"... Know what?" I squinted my eyes as a warning then, feeling the air pressurize with tension. I could already feel my blood pressure rising as I watched Hacker smile wide at my question.

"Why, about you being a murderer, of course!" Grinning gleefully, The Hacker held his arms out to the sides, staring at me with the lifeless eyes I'd spent years seeing in every mirror.

*Uh oh. He knows your dirty secret.

* * *

"Animals..." F Chara muttered spitefully as they stared over the ledge and to the two Cter-colored dots down below. One of their arms hung limp, and with the other they held it by the elbow.

They would have liked to continue fighting that arrogant punkass that had nearly strangled them to death, but unfortunately a similar punkass had lead the fight down a hundred something foot drop, and Chara was in no mood to climb. So instead, they stood there, grumbling while they tried to make sense of what was going on.

"You callin' 'em animals because they're fighting or because they're Cters?"

F Chara's eyebrows lifted with surprise, and they looked over their shoulder to find one exhausted Future shambling down the hallway from Asgore's home to greet them.

"Because if it's the former," Future gave a tired grin, a little light twinkling in eyes that often looked long dead. "We might have a pot-kettle situation."

"Cter." F Chara turned around to face Future as he approached, their eyes narrowing some. "You take care of the other brat?"

"Meh. Got an intern to take care of it." Future shrugged lazily, leaning on his spear, the butt of which he planted on the stone floor. F Chara could see the sweat on his brow now. They figured he could probably see the sweat on theirs. They wondered if this was just an off day, or if the two of them really _were_ getting too old for this.

"..." They squinted suspiciously at the king from his words, irritated by yet another question that appeared in their brain. "By intern, you wouldn't happen to mean a younger me, would'ja?"

"What tipped you off?" Future grinned in a way distinctly Cter, tilting his head some.

"A teen you showed up a few minutes ago. Took the fight with Hacker over the edge." F Chara pointed with their thumb towards the ledge behind them. Future pondered if Chara had been making some kind of play on words there, but dismissed the thought. His tired brain couldn't multitask well, and he had much more important questions at hand.

"I'll explain everything in a minute." Future took on a more serious tone, startling Chara as he opened a rift in reality at his side. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

"What, you just expect me to leave the fight?" F Chara crossed their arms stubbornly, scowling. "With _you_ , of all people?"

"You really think either of our tired asses stand a chance out here?" Future's haggard eyes narrowed at F Chara. "Come on. I know you've got questions, you know I've got questions."

"..." F Chara's eyes glossed back over that ledge, their jaw clenching with frustration. "... Fine. I guess one of our talks is long overdue."

* * *

Walking backwards down the dark hallway under Asgore's home, Demon deflected crimson bullets with one burnt frying pan. Their expression was twisted in a deep scowl, eyes hardly daring to blink as they feverishly examined the darkness before them, waiting for the next bolt of red.

But the next assault was not in bullets or DETERMINATION, it was a plastic knife that made The Demon flinch. They swiftly lifted their pan, blocking their own line of vision to send the Toy Knife dinging off back into the shadows. When they lowered the pan, however, they were stunned to see Chara diving from the black with one Ballet Shoe covered kick.

Demon held their pan over their abdomen, catching Chara's kick with it, only for Chara to aim down at them with that revolver. Demon was quick to swing their pan to the side and throw Chara back through the air, only for them to land and roll backwards once or twice, coming to a stop in a crouch and lunging back at their counterpart as their blade their gun in hand.

Stepping back, Demon's frying pan switched out for their own knife. Rapidly they deflected Chara's stabs and slashes, and rapidly they lost ground. Step after step was taken backwards while The Demon quickly glanced around. Where was Hacker?!

The entire reason they'd lead their fight down the steps and the hall was in hopes of finding their partner in crime. This Chara was powerful, more powerful than them, as much as that hurt Demon's pride to say. If they were to have any hope of defeating this moral high ground holding doppelganger, they would need The Hacker to back them up. But their ink slinger was nowhere to be found.

His trademark black ooze was splattered along the walls in several places, and chunks of pens and graphite littered the floor. The Demon hoped with all their might that he had taken care of that older Cter and Chara, and not the other way around. They'd made a mistake letting Future escape, but then again they'd've been dead meat if they'd had to face both him _and_ this Chara.

 _Damn it!_ Demon's fangs were bared, wincing as they narrowly redirected the force behind another incredible slash, nearly losing their footing and being forced to stumble back out of the hall's shadows. _All I wanted was to have dinner with my-! My... Uhm... My..._

 _... Oh god what **is** Angel to me-? _Demon's eyes widened some, darting to the side in a momentary brain freeze. Somehow in this life or death scenario such a simple thought made them pause, a light pink shade appearing on their cheeks.

Chara had no stake in this massive crisis their other self was having however, ruthlessly ducking down under their arms and racing back up with a savage upper cut that knocked The Demon right back to reality and sent them stumbling back on their heels. Relentlessly Chara jumped up, pulled both knees to their chest, and shotgunned a kick into Demon's chest.

Demon's eyes went wide, pupils shrinking. The air had burst out of their lungs, and panic pierced their heart when they were knocked off their feet and sent sailing over the ledge. Immediately gravity had a hold of them, yanking them with growing speed towards the unforgiving concrete below.

Wind billowed in Demon's ears as they flipped in air, now watching the ground rapidly approach as they prepared for the belly flop to end all belly flops. They couldn't open a portal while moving this fast, and they certainly couldn't regenerate from a red splat. Desperately their ruby orbs darted to and fro, examining their surroundings for something - _anything_ \- to save them. And then, just as they found themself thinking it was all over, they spotted him.

On the earth they were plummeting towards he stood, facing off with another doppelganger. A poor imitation, far as Demon was concerned. There was only one Cter in their mind, and he would save them from becoming strawberry pancake batter on the pavement. They drew in enough breath to fill their lungs, and with all their might, they called out to The Hacker.

"ANGEEEEELLLLL!"

* * *

"I'm gonna take your silence as a 'no, of course I didn't tell my perfect new family about all the people that died because of me'. Am I right?" My teeth ground together as Hacker spoke, ink dripping down between the knuckles of my clenched fists.

"That life doesn't exist now." I spoke sternly, emeralds iced over in my eyes as i stared into the mocking smile of my other self.

"Tell that to Anny's corpse." Hacker spoke in a sweet tone, smiling innocently even though half of his face was drenched in blood. His words made me snarl, and I quickly lifted my arm, ink stabbing out from my sleeve towards him. The attack was sloppy though, even I knew that. Hacker side stepped it, lifting his hands and laughing.

"Easy, easy!" Grinning like a jackass and keeping his hands up defensively The Hacker looked back to me. "I'm not your old girlfriend, it's gonna take a little more than the flick of your wrist to kill me!"

"You did the same shit that I did!" I shouted furiously, taking a threatening step forward.

"Yeah but the difference is I'm not standing here pretending to be a good person after doing it!" Hacker took up a more serious tone then, glaring right back at me. "You know what we are, Angel! There's no going back after all the fucked up shit we've done!"

"..." I stood there in silence for a few seconds, before I slowly shook my head, scowling. "Granny didn't want this."

I watched Hacker flinch with the cord I struck, his eyes narrowing while he clenched his jaw. "Don't you talk about Granny."

"What, so you can run your mouth all day about Anny and Lexi but I can't bring up the little old lady that you're disappointing more every damn day?!" I pointed accusingly at Hacker. "Granny wanted more for us! She believed we could do great things!"

"You-!"

"I'm trying to be better every day! I'm working to make up for what I've done!" I stepped forward then, boldly poking one finger into Hacker's chest. "What are _you_ doing? Hunting people for sport? Being the same dill weed each and every day?!"

"And you have the nerve to talk to _me_ like we're the same! We ain't!" I shoved Hacker harshly, making him stumble a few steps back. I was seeing red now, furious from having my past thrown in my face. "I'm a you that put in effort! You're a me that took the easy route!"

"Don't!" Hacker cocked back one fist, and I was too busy shaking with rage to notice the punch fling up at my face. His knuckles rammed into my cheek, and I was forced to tilt my head, taking a step back. "Lecture me!"

"ANGEEEEELLLLL!"

I looked up from the blood dripping out of my nostrils into my open hand to the dot plummeting down towards Hacker and I, my brows furrowing with confusion.

"You wanna see great things, asshole?!" Hacker jumped back, and ink swiftly spiraled out from the hem of his shirt, forming a spring behind him, which he then landed on and made coil tight. In the next second the spring burst out, launching Hacker right up into the sky to meet Demon.

I glared up, eyes following Hacker as he raced through the air and caught Demon right out of the sky. Then my attention turned to the portal that opened at my side, and urgently I let my wings spread from my shoulder blades while I took a knee.

"Get on!" I ordered Chara before they even had a chance to speak, both feet not even through their portal yet. Confusion exploded across their expression, but I just nodded forcefully towards my back while my wings spread wide.

"Now!"

* * *

"Huh!" Demon gasped as Hacker collided with them, catching them in his arms and changing their straight drop to a curved descent en route to a nearby rooftop.

"Sup?" Hacker asked casually, glancing down at The Demon, who was glancing around their surroundings nervously for a few seconds before their scarlet eyes looked back up to him.

"Uhm... Hey." They smiled a little awkwardly, making him snerk as they dropped down towards that rooftop.

"Yeah so," Hacker paused as ink spiraled from his pant legs, forming yet another spring as they neared the rooftop of some abandoned corner market, which when landed on launched them right back into the sky. "I think we need to get outta here."

"Was about to pitch the same idea." Demon scowled then, eyes darting to the side. "Don't know if you could tell, but things weren't exactly goin' too well for me."

"I'm guessing some goody goody you showed up and stopped you from killin' the old man?" Hacker cocked a brow at Demon, hair blowing back in the wind.

"Yup." Demon said spitefully, before glaring over Hacker's shoulder at the two aforementioned goody goodies, giving chase on wings of ink. "Aaaand here they come."

"Son of a-..." Hacker glanced over his shoulder, his jaw clenching and sweat forming on his already blood stained brow. As much as he hated to admit it, things were looking bleak. Him n' Demon couldn't beat those two in a fight, and from the looks of things they couldn't out run them with that Cter's _stupid_ wings.

But this was fine. He'd been the underdog before. He'd gotten himself out of worse situations. His brain began it's wretched cycle, the kind of twisted plots that he'd killed his closest friends with once upon a time beginning to form.

* * *

Gunshots rang over the whipping winds, Chara doing their best to aim while clinging to my back for dear life. The beat of my wings sent us racing across the sky, and we gained steadily on our less-than-law-abiding counter parts. Unfortunately with the turbulence of our swift chase, Chara continued to miss wildly, red bolts blasting through windows and into brick walls.

I figured Chara was getting irritated with this because they sent that revolver back to their inventory, their trademark knife appearing in its place. Then they perked up some, shifting and planting their spare hand between my shoulder blades, digging their fingers into my jacket to keep themself steady.

"Get me over them!" They ordered, and I nodded, my wings flapping harshly and sending us blasting faster ahead. Massive pencil erasers began firing up from the earth, and I growled with irritation, swerving and darting between the incoming obstacles.

One last pencil fired up on an angle just behind me, close enough for me to feel the burst of wind and force it dragged with it against my toes. What I felt next was admittedly more startling as Chara leaned back, rolling right off of me and flipping down onto the pencil. They landed skillfully on the wood surface, sliding rapidly on their feet until they reached about halfway down, where they jumped right off, lunging through the air right at Hacker's back.

"Look out!" Demon cried out, swiftly reaching over Hacker's shoulders and putting their hands on his back. They pushed themself over his shoulder, jumping from him to meet Chara in mid air.

A clang resounded as Demon and Chara collided, blade to blade, their momentum coming to a stop in air. The two locked their furious eyes together, before they pushed off from one another, landing on opposite sides of the flat rooftop below.

"Chara!" Hacker cried out, turning around to face the two that dropped from the air and letting his guard down. This opening left him oblivious to the massive eraser that launched from the sky above him, smashing into his back and sending him firing right back down at the same rooftop his partner had landed on.

Chara dove backwards, Demon's eyes narrowing with confusion at this before snapping open wide as Hacker smashed right into their back, sending the both of them crashing through the roof. They blasted into the ground floor of three story building, disappearing into the smoke and dust that exploded up around them.

Chara stood on the building adjacent to the one our enemy had been knocked into, and I hovered above, watching shattered concrete and other rubble gradually slip into the hole in the roof's center.

* * *

Hacker coughed drywall dust out of his lungs, wincing his eyes open into the dimly lit room he found himself in. He was surrounded mostly by rubble, the only light being the dull grey that shined through the dust in the massive hole above.

"Chara, c'mon..." He called out, gradually climbing to his feet with a grunt or two. he coughed into his fist, eyes weakly scanning the darkness around him. "We have an opening, we gotta get outta here..."

 _"_._._._A_n_g_e_l_._._?_"_

Hacker's head turned towards the sound of Demon's voice, and his eyes went wide, pupils shrinking with terror. Across the room, Demon laid on their back, that same fear in their eyes while red streaked down their chin. From their abdomen, two rebar spikes protruded, dipped in their scarlet colors.

"Chara!" Hacker called out fearfully, rushing to their side without care for his own aching body. He dropped to his knees next to them, eyes frantically scanning over their injury as he took their hand in both of his.

"Did... D-did we lose..?" Demon asked weakly, the light starting to flicker in their eyes and their face draining of color. "Am I... Going to..."

"No, no!" Hacker attempted a smile, but it was nervous. Panicked, as he shook his head swiftly to refute whatever they were too scared to say. "You're fine! E-everything's fine!"

"I-I can fix this!" Hacker spoke with desperation in his voice, squeezing The Demon's hand in his. His eyes drifted down to their wound once more, and then he repeated in a whisper. "... I can fix this..."

"... Do you get it now?"

Snarling, Hacker glared over his shoulder at me as I slid into the building, my wings folded on my back.

"This is what it's like on the other side." My hands balled into fists, emerald orbs narrowed at my other self. "When someone you care about is being taken away and you can't stop it."

"I already learned this lesson..." Hacker spoke through grinding teeth, slowly standing while letting go of The Demon's hand. He turned to face me, indignation burning in his eyes.

"Then why were ya doing it to other people?" I asked sternly, like I was scolding a child. "If you knew what it was like to have someone special taken from you, why were you taking people from others?"

"So I could get stronger, damn it!" Hacker shouted with frustration. "So I wouldn't have to lose anyone ever again!"

"Well look where it got you." My expression remained a hard frown, eyes unblinking in their scornful stare. "We came here _because_ you were hurting people. Chara's going to die _because_ you were hurting people."

Hacker flinched at the harshness of my words, before he turned his head, looking over his shoulder to the Demon. Their eyes were clenched shut tight, their teeth visibly clenching as they put one hand over their punctured abdomen. Sweat was firing in bullets down their face, and the only time they moved was to turn their head from one side to the other in a desperate search for some kind of comfort.

"... Alright man, look." He drew in a deep breath, shut his eyes, and turned his head back towards me. When he next opened his eyes, I thought they looked... Honest. KINDNESS flickered in them, whatever drops of it Hacker had left. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" I repeated, genuine confusion spreading like wildfire across my face.

"After what happened with Granny, I... I've been all fucked up." Exhausted, pained eyes darted to the side, shame written on Hacker's expression. "I thought if I cut ties with people I'd feel better, but I didn't. I thought if I got revenge I'd feel better, but I didn't."

"When I came here I was... Afraid. Of who I'd been and who I might become." Hacker kept his head low, shadow slipping over his face. "And because of that I, went back to doing things the only way I knew how..."

"... But, you guys have to understand. You're the only ones who _can_ understand." Hacker lifted his head, looking between me and Chara - who stood at the top of the steep rubble hill that dropped into the first floor - with pleading eyes. "Me n' them, this is all we know. We wanna get better, we just... We don't know how."

"... But you're right." My eyes widened with some shock as Hacker dropped to his knees before me. I couldn't deny that I was stunned as I watched what once seemed to be someone so proud, so arrogant, bow his head, grovel on his hands and knees. "Granny didn't want this for me. For us."

"Please, I'll... I'll do whatever it takes." Hacker's hands slowly curled into the rubble covered floor, his eyes clenched shut tight. "Just help them, _please_. I can't lose the only person I have... Not again..."

My brows furrowed, thoughts flooding my brain and questions damaging my certainty. My eyes lifted from the begging Hacker to the dying Demon, and disgust and anxiety pierced my soul. I felt for this other self, how could I not have? One or two different decisions and our roles would have been reversed. I knew what it was like to feel the self loathing he was feeling. The fear, the uncertainty. And now here he was, about to lose everything all over again because he wasn't strong enough.

 _"Your fate will be sealed... You'll be just like me..."_

Is that what he meant? Wasn't I just doing to Hacker exactly what The Killer had done to me?

...

In the silence and hesitation that followed, no one moved. No one breathed. Chara didn't object, so they must've been considering as well. I thought that was a step in the right direction, but doubted I'd ever tell them.

"... Okay." I nodded solemnly and lifted my right hand, a cinnamon bunny appearing in my grasp from my inventory.

"Cter, I'm not so sure about this." Chara objected with a voice that lacked certainty and screamed anxiety, skeptical eyes not leaving The Hacker.

"I have to give them a chance." I spoke out loud, but mostly to myself. My eyes narrowed, and I slowly extended the bunny to Hacker. He lifted his head some, looking up at me from under his eyebrows as if he too was unsure of this action. "I can't... Be like _him_..."

"Heh... I knew you'd do the right thing." Hacker smiled thankfully, climbing back to one knee while he reached for the item.

"This won't bring them back to full health, but it'll get them off Death's doorstep." My tired eyes watched as Hacker's hand approached my charity. "Once they're feeling better, we're all gonna have to have a long talk."

"Thanks, Angel." Hacker smiled softly up at me, and I found myself managing to return the favor. "You really are too KIND."

 **STAB.**

"A-... Agh..?" Slowly my eyes drifted down to the spire of ink that had fired up from the earth in an instant, tearing right through the center of my chest. Then, my now lightless emerald orbs trembled back to the face of The Hacker, who's angelic smile had become a demonic grin. I realized he'd kept one hand planted on the ground, feeding his ink through the dirt and biding his time while his redemption speech lowered my guard.

"CTER!"

The ink tore right back out of my body, and I vomited blood up over myself while my knees buckled. I dropped backwards and Hacker snatched that cinnamon bunny from my limp hand, jumping back from the dirt he'd been groveling in to his Demon's side.

Before my back hit the rough broken concrete and tiles, Chara slid down to my side and caught me in their arms. They dropped to one knee, casting a vicious glare at The Hacker. Murder shun in their eyes, and their lips pulled back to reveal their grinding teeth.

I managed to keep my head up, vision fading in and out as I went into shock. I could see red misting off the hole encompassing my chest, and could only hope my soul was powerful enough to regenerate however much of my heart had just been ripped out. But then, my vision focused in, and I watched Hacker pick The Demon up in his arms, those soulless eyes landing upon me and a heartless grin growing on his face while a portal opened behind him.

"Don'tcha get it, Hacker?" The Hacker took one step back through the portal as he finally spoke again. Shadows encompassed one side of his face, leaving only the side that was painted crimson.

 **"Granny was wrong about us."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	32. Chapter 32: Weather Forecast

**Thanks go to BonelessSkele, 10burgers, Wingah, WhoWritesThisCrap, CrystalGamer82, Andyfire123, GrayK, Jack54311, Xero619, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Genowar, Monkey D. Chimera, Guest, and istic.**

 **To answer your question Guest, it is unlikely that more than the four DT kids we've seen (Cter, Anarchy, Predator, Gatherer). There's mainly just 21 so that people can have fun and create OCs and whatnot if they want to. That said, there will certainly be _a lot_ more DoubleTale in the Rewrite than there was in the first story. Where the first story ended is jsut the halfway point for this story. So gear up, you're in for a long ride. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Horrortale.**

* * *

Gradually my eyes creaked open, but they found little light to adjust to. My sluggish orbs glossed over my surroundings, examining them as the sleepy fog surrounding my brain began to subside.

I was laying on my side, body resting on wet concrete. The first sound that entered my ears was the pouring of water, the splash of a broken pipe's contents plummeting down to the unforgiving floor. When I lifted my eyes to the ceiling a few feet diagonally from my legs, I spotted the busted pipe that the ugly, improv waterfall was pouring from.

The more I examined, the more I recognized this as some kind of basement. Concrete floor, cinder block walls, wood beams and pipes making up the ceiling. I placed my hand upon the floor with a gentle splash, pushing myself to sit up.

 _Riiiiipppp..._

My dazed emerald orbs narrowed then, squinting into the blackness ahead in hopes that my eyes would adjust and that I'd be able to find the source of the only sound other than dripping in the basement: the savage and voracious chewing. It was a disgusting sound, some mix between a dog gnawing on a rawhide and someone chewing a mouthful of gum with their jaws open.

After a moment of searching, my pupils perceived a pale white form at the center of the basement's darkness. Its skin was so reflective that it just barely appeared through the vantablack, and the longer I stared the more detail I found. It was humanoid, its back to me and its spine in clear view as it hunched ghoulishly over whatever might be creating the red puddle it knelt in. I could see the majority of it's bone structure with how tight its skin was sucked to its bones. No wonder it was ripping that body apart so carelessly; it looked like it hadn't eaten in days. Weeks, even.

 ** _Too far gone._**

My eyes glossed down from the ivory ghoul to the only other object I could see, specks of light shining down from the floor boards above and reflecting in the crimson painted crowbar that lay just behind him. My less than KIND green eyes paused on this item, brows furrowing with contemplation.

 _ **Before he kills you.**_

As quiet as can be I pushed myself to my feet, eyes locked on the mane of red stained snow that fell in mangy locks behind the ivory ghoul's head. In a paranoid silence I crept closer and closer, heart pounding in my chest at the thought of that head whipping around and those scarlet eyes locking onto me as the beast's next prey.

But they never did. Even as I leaned down, plucked the object of death and devastation from the concrete. Even as my fingers curled in its filth, and its red brand seeped deep into the flesh of my palm. Even when I rose my arm, blocked out the Heavens above with the twisted metal and prepared to strike down the Angel Killer's Bastard Son.

But when I swung, my arm didn't travel more than three inches before it was stopped dead. Dread struck my heart, cold sweat fled down my skin, and my shrunken pupils trembled as they laid upon the pale and bony hand that wrapped tight around my wrist. His filthy, untrimmed finger nails tore into my skin, let my own red shade trickle down his blood stained hand.

And when I turned my head back down to look at him, and my eyes met those of The Scorpion, I concluded that he'd known I was here the entire time. That he'd been finishing devouring the other corpse, that'd he'd been saving me for last, and finally - as those rows and rows of teeth ripped my face from my skull and that wretched tongue slurped it down into the stomach of Chaos Incarnate - that I never stood a chance.

 _ **Karma.**_

 **Chapter 32: Weather Forecast**

 _"Oh shit."_

* * *

My eyes snapped open wide, but my body didn't flinch. I just laid there, flat on my back and with a blanket covering my legs while I stared up at the ceiling. I could feel the gentle pin pricks of my pores opening, followed by the sensation of sweat trickling down my forehead. For seconds or hours I didn't breath and I didn't blink. I just laid there, trying to make sense of the torment my brain had just subjected me to. Every frame of that nightmare was replayed, again and again, until the rest of my senses came back.

"You're going _back_?!"

"Of course I'm going back! I have to!"

"Cter got hurt, Chara! If I hadn't healed him, he might've-!"

"Cter's fine, Asriel! I've seen him jump back up from much worse!"

"Oh _yeah_ , he looked _real_ jumpy spilling pints of blood all over our floor!"

Oh, right. Hacker and Demon. Chest got popped open. My super cool nightmare where my childhood best friend ate my face almost made me forget how I got KOed - damn near Yamcha'd - in the first place. I blacked out from blood and organ loss, and Chara must've gotten me back to their Ruins home for Asriel to heal what my DETERMINATION couldn't.

"What's it matter?! He's fine now!"

"Fine?! He could be in a coma for all we know! You should have taken him to mom, you know she can heal way better than me!"

"Oh sure! I'll just show up on their front doorstep with a dying Cter in my arms! I'm sure that won't raise any fuckin' eyebrows!"

Hearing this shouting match from the kitchen made me feel nostalgic. Expression blank and eyes devoid of light, I turned my head to look at the shadows. The silhouettes on the wall of the kitchen that screamed like I couldn't hear them. It took me back to my early childhood, made me remember wishing that the manic whir of my chainsaw bayonet in _Gears of War_ would drown out my parents not-so-distant yelling match. But I didn't have any sadistic and barbaric tool to rip through Locust flesh on the big screen this time. Now the only other noises were my invasive thoughts, and ironically those _were_ loud enough to drown out the yelling.

"Can you just relax?! You can't just rush into things like this! Did anyone other than me even know what you two were doing?!"

"What were we gonna tell them, that we have to go across the multiverse to kill ourselves because we're being shitty?"

"Oh please. This isn't some justice crusade, this is a personal vendetta!"

Granny was wrong about us. That's the last thing I remember hearing. Hacker said that, then he made his daring escape and I made my daring drop into unconsciousness. Now I got to lay here, basking in the glory of my idiotic mistake. I'd fallen into my own trap, for my own lies. I don't know if that made me an idiot or a narcissist or both, but now who knows how many more people would get hurt, all because of me?

 _"But your greatest strength could also be your greatest weakness."_

Originally, I'd written Chara's rant during our sparring yesterday off as being more about them not trusting themself than me being gullible, but now I was finding more and more truth in their words. Hacker had manipulated me, used both my hopes and my fears to get me to drop my guard. We had the both of them, and my stupid KINDNESS let them slip through our fingers.

Maybe I was getting arrogant. Maybe words don't reach everybody. Maybe sometimes people have to die.

*Told you so.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you trying to fix your issues by stabbing someone. Again."

"Asriel you _better_ not be accusing me of what I think you're accusing me of."

"Look, you aren't bad for wanting to kill Demon. Trust me, I've imagined what it'd be like to torch Flowey to death more than once. But it wouldn't fix my issues. And killing Demon isn't gonna fix yours."

"So what, you just want me to talk to them?"

"Yes, actually! I think that'd get you a much better kind of closure!"

"How am I supposed to talk to a homicidal maniac?!"

"Chara that's LITERALLY HOW CTER STOPPED YOU!"

That one shook me outta my thoughts. I grimaced visually, sitting up slowly and carefully to keep anymore bolts of pain from jutting through my aching chest. Skeptically my eyes watched that kitchen entrance, and desperately my ears listened for another word. But none came. Just a tense silence, followed by footsteps, quick and angry.

Chara stomped into the living room and got about three steps in before their eyes landed on me, and the intensity in them made me flinch. Once more I felt overwhelming guilt and shame for my stupid MERCY. MERCY that was certainly lacking in the furious eyes that rested upon me now.

"... Know who you can trust, huh?" Chara's words were just as pointed as their glare. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would come forth. The tension in the room choked me, and the gravity of the situation crushed me.

"Save it." Chara spoke before I could vomit up any words, turning that brutal gaze forward and walking right past me. The further away they got, the lighter the invisible grip on my throat became. Until finally, just as I heard the front door creak open, I managed to speak.

"Chara-!"

SLAM.

*Too little too late.

"..." I clenched my eyes shut tight, slowly leaning my head back against the couch. "Fuck..."

"... Oh, Cter. You're awake..."

I frowned knowingly, opening my eyes and looking over to Asriel, who stood in the overhang between the kitchen and living room.

"I'm, glad you're alright..." He kept his head down, eyes never landing directly on mine in a poor attempt at hiding whatever shitty emotions he must've been feeling. "... And I'm uh... Sorry you had to hear that."

"... We really shit the bed on this one, Asriel." I looked back to the ceiling with honest and lightless orbs, one lethargic frown curling my lips.

"Look, I know you're still recovering, but could you go talk to them..?" Asriel lifted his head, looking at me with sad goat eyes that were hard to say no to. "I, think you might be able to help more than I can."

"... Yeah." I blinked slowly, exhaling and glancing down to the massive hole at the center of my shirt. "I was going to anyway."

* * *

"Nice place." F Chara stated without much kindness, crossing their arms over their chest while their eyes scanned over the cabin they now stood inside of. "This where you hid from us for all those years?"

"Thanks." Future stated from the kitchen, which one large doorway connected to the living room that Chara stood in. He seemed to ignore Chara's pointed question, too busy behind the bar in the corner of the room, where he was refilling his flask with some clear fluid that poured from a glass bottle. "Built it myself."

"Never took you for a lumberjack or a carpenter." F Chara walked from the wood floor of the living room to the tiles of the kitchen.

"Yeah well with enough razor sharp ink tendrils and Youtube tutorials, anything is possible." Capping his flask and tucking it back into his coat, Future turned around to face Chara, setting that bottle on the counter between them. Then he leaned down, retrieved two short glasses from under the bar, and straightened his back once more to set them on the granite surface. Finally he glanced back up to Chara, pouring more of that alcohol into each glass. "Thirsty?"

"Not particularly, no." Chara narrowed their eyes with an icy chill, clearly aggravated by Future's bush beating.

"More for me then." Without hesitation or shame the king lifted both glasses, bringing the one in his left hand to his lips and effortlessly gulping it's contents down. Then without a breath between, he switched glasses, chugging the second glass with just as much ease as the first.

"..." F Chara's jaw clenched, frown only growing - much like their disgust - as Future set both glasses down on the counter, exhaling through his teeth and blinking his eyes wide a few times. "You're-"

"A shambling husk of a man?" Future finished their sentence for them, lifting those lightless emeralds back to Chara's rubies and putting on a soulless smile. "I know, right?"

F Chara couldn't deny to themself that they found this unnerving, and with such a feeling in mind they turned their head away from the king and glanced out the window at the far side of the room. Nothing but trees and dirt. Everything about this cabin felt like solitary confinement.

"... Why am I here, Cter?" F Chara looked back to Future from the corner of their eye.

"Good question." Walking out from behind the counter, that bitter frown that had become Future's resting expression reappeared on his face. He glanced over at them as he stepped past, making his way into the living room. "Why _are_ you here?"

"What are you on about?" Chara narrowed their eyes suspiciously, following behind Future from a distance. They paused at the center of the living room, watching him plop lazily into the couch and let his lethargic gaze land upon them.

"Why'd ya go pick a fight with Hacker and Demon?" A blunt question for someone who'd purposefully ducked and dodged around the point for so long.

"... Well..!" Chara flinched visibly, leaning their head back and letting more anger creep into their expression. "That's none of your business!"

"Why'd you come here, Chara?!" Future rephrased his question with more of his reserved fury in his tone. His anger was a fickle thing. Ninety percent of the time he hardly felt anything at all. But for that other ten he felt he was about to explode. It was always sudden, a bolt of rage that made his muscles clench and his voice rise in volume.

"You aren't an idiot, you _knew_ how dangerous those two were!" He stood from the couch, his anger ignoring his aching, exhausted body as he pointed an accusatory finger in their face. "Why would you take a risk like that?!"

"What's it matter to you?!" Chara slapped his hand out of their face, their own blood quick to boil. "I'm your enemy, dumbass! Why's that always been so hard for you to understand?!"

That was true. Future was built to kill Chara. It's why his hair was black, it's why the Deltarune was engraved on his back. But for something he existed to do, he was admittedly bad at it. People had been hurt and people had died, and as furious as that made Future, it all went away whenever he imagined Chara being dead too. Anger turned to sadness, hatred to soul crushing loneliness and emptiness.

"You rushed all the way out here in the middle of the night just to save my sorry ass when I slaughtered everyone you cared about!" Now F Chara was the one doing the pointing, jabbing their index finger into Future's chest and making him back up. "That doesn't seem a little fucked up to you?!"

"Maybe I want to kill you myself!" Future was always good at lying on the spot.

"Bullshit!" Chara was always good at seeing through those lies.

"Look, this isn't about me!" Future knocked Chara's hand aside, going right back to poking them in some idiotic stand off. "This is about you trying to get yourself killed and me being pissed about it!"

"Why do you care?!" Chara reiterated their question with a demanding shove that made Future take a step or two back.

"Because!" Future shoved them right back after he got his footing, forcing them to stumble back like he had. "Everyone else I've ever cared about is dead!"

"Yeah I know!" Chara furiously gestured to themself, leaning forward some. "I'm the one who killed them, idiot! So why don't you hate me?!"

"BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE YOU MAKE EXCUSES!"

Things got quiet. F Chara recoiled, Future stiffened.

*Hahahahahaha!

"... I uh... I said that out loud, huh?" Future's eyes were empty again, his anger leaving him for that numb feeling he was so used to. Those emeralds without luster that were stuck in his skull laid on the floor, and his shoulders sunk with his frown.

"... Yeah." F Chara couldn't make eye contact either. They awkwardly rubbed their shoulder, ruby orbs looking to their right. They didn't seem particularly angry anymore either, confronted instead by emotions that were a bit harder to understand and express.

"..." Future sighed audibly, rubbing his exhausted eyes with his index finger and thumb while he turned, dragging his sorry ass back towards the kitchen bar for another desperately needed drink.

"... Look, I don't know why I don't hate you for what you did." Future's voice was bitter. That'd been the flavor of his life for a good number of years now. He lazily slid into one of the two bar stools and leaned his elbows on the counter. "I tried to be angry at you, but it didn't work."

"Every time I tried to think "How dare they?" or "That piece of shit I'm gonna kill them!" I just started thinkin'-..." Future cut himself off, lifting that bottle from the counter and bringing it to his lips. After two or three gulps, he set the bottle down and shook his head. "I started thinkin', "Wow Angel, you're such a piece'a garbage, all you had to do was be there and you failed. You're a fuckin' failure. I hate you.""

"... Er, somethin' to that effect, anyway." Future gave a sluggish, one handed shrug. his other hand was preoccupied pouring drinks into one of the two glasses still resting on the counter. "Every time I tried to blame you I always concluded that it was all my fault. Because it was."

"..." F Chara listened quietly, before making their way over to the bar where the king hung his head. They slid onto the stool at his side and leaned forward, resting their elbows on the counter. After a moment of melancholy thought, they gestured to the empty glass that rested next to Future's. "Pour me one, too."

Future cocked a brow over at them, contemplating the opportunity to tease them on their indecision. He knew he wasn't in a playful mood, however, and instead just turned his gaze back to their glass, filling it with the bottle that had yet to leave his hand.

"... I messed up, Angel." F Chara spoke after a pause, both hands wrapped around their glass and their eyes drowning in it's contents. "Even someone as crazy as me can understand that."

"You aren't crazy." Future made an attempt, but it just made Chara shoot him a sarcastic and condescending look. That made him scoff with some amusement, shutting his eyes and turning his head back to his glass with a smile that was less than happy. "'Least, you aren't when I'm around."

"Well, that was the problem. You weren't around." Chara shrugged their shoulders, frown only growing and head not lifting. "At first I didn't know how to feel when you left. I was angry and betrayed. Then I was sad and alone."

"... Then I was, guilty." Chara's scarlet orbs narrowed painfully, their grip tightening some on their glass. "Guilty and desperate."

Future didn't speak, instead leaning back in his chair and turning to face them with a curious expression.

"I started to think it was my fault. That you trusted me with your past and I was wrong to try to get you to come clean with everyone else." F Chara shut their eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I just didn't understand how scary the truth was to you."

"I... Didn't realize you were more committed to hiding your identity than you were to me." F Chara's eyes glossed to the side, their pain glimmering dully in them. "To all of us."

Future still didn't talk. Shadow obscured those emerald orbs, and on habit he pulled that drink up to his lips, quietly sipping to silence his thoughts and help him listen better.

"I was furious with you, but I still missed you. And that made me furious with myself, too." Chara leaned back, letting their eyes rest on the ceiling. "I was confused. Didn't know what to feel. And that made me remember what I did the last time my whole life felt upside down."

Future's jaw clenched, and through gritting teeth he sucked more alcohol. He still didn't object however, knowing these were words he had to hear, no matter how much they hurt.

"At first the thought was silly. I dismissed it with ease." Chara paused, shadow dropping over their eyes. "... Then it came back. Again. And again. And again. Each time the idea made a little more sense than it had last time."

"Soon enough, well... You know how the story goes." Chara tilted their head, finally looking back to Future. "I wanted to see you again more than anything. Wanted to go back to when things were simple between us."

"... What about everyone else?" Future narrowed his eyes sorrowfully, KIND emeralds finally breaking free from the shadow. "Didn't you care about any of them?"

"... Of course. They were all my family. I loved them." F Chara looked ahead, and without hesitation they lifted their glass, taking a long drink before speaking again. "But I didn't think I'd have time to regret it. I'd kill them, and you'd finally come back to stop me."

"..." Future drank whatever his glass had left to offer. His hopes that it would help him swallow that pill were dashed, and gently he set his drink back on the granite surface. "... You wanted me to kill you."

"I was counting on it. I was sure I meant nothing to you, so I thought it'd be easy for you. Heh..." F Chara smiled at the boo-hoo funny joke their life had become, eyes lowering to the smooth stone they rested their beverage on. "But I should've known that wasn't the case. Things have never been as easy as love or hate between us."

"..." Future was quiet for a long time. So was Chara. Neither of them had anymore words to say. So instead they sat there, for awhile, adjusting to the gravity of the truth that they'd spent so long ducking and dodging around.

Eventually, F Chara decided they'd overstayed their welcome. They placed their hands on the counter to push themself to their feet, but before they could, they felt another hand rest itself on top of theirs. This startled them a bit, but they didn't dare jump or flinch, instead just letting their eyes gloss over to the scene.

Just as they'd thought (hoped) was true, they found Future's hand laying on theirs in some silent gesture. They wanted to tell him they appreciated this in the same manner, so gradually they turned their palm to face upwards, and they intertwined their fingers with his.

"... Do you think there's any way we can fix this?" Future asked after awhile, lifting his head just enough to peer at Chara with one eye. They could tell he was pleading for a good answer, and were quick to find that they couldn't bring themself to give him a bad one.

"We've done the impossible before." A luke warm answer at best, but when F Chara saw Future smile a little, they figured he would take just about anything.

Things were quiet again, but it felt nicer this time. Less tense and more comfortable. Eventually Future groaned to break the silence, reaching up and rubbing his eyelids with his index finger and thumb. Chara was suddenly reminded of just how exhausted he looked these days.

"... I'm tired, Chara." He eventually spoke, letting his arm drop back onto the counter. "I think I have been for a long time."

"I think you should get some sleep, Angel." Chara answered genuinely, gently squeezing his hand in theirs to express their care. "You've been working harder than anyone."

Future groaned again, lazily leaning to his right and letting his head rest on their shoulder. He shut his eyes, yawning loudly. "You're... Probably right..."

F Chara shot him a confused glance, but after a moment of inspecting his half asleep expression, they just let out a silent sigh, rolling their eyes.

*He looks peaceful.

* * *

Hacker knelt there at his Demon's side, watching them carefully and anxiously. They were laid on a flat bed of keys, which wasn't much of a bed, but it was more than the inky black void had to offer. Similar keys formed a wall at their side and an overhang above them; some form of comfort and protection in the endless and ever extending dark between worlds.

The cinnamon bunny was useful. It had healed whatever organs were punctured - based on the placement, Hacker had guessed a lung and a kidney - and put The Demon in stable condition. The scariest part had been removing the rebar spikes. If Demon had passed out before Hacker had the chance to feed them the bunny, they would have been done for.

Done for. Cautiously Hacker glanced over his shoulder, eagle eyes narrowing into the shadows that surrounded the two. Three Beat Blasters circled over head, barrels (speakers) pointing out into the void and keeping a watchful eye over their surroundings.

Hacker was aware of the stakes here. That other Cter and Chara were stronger than them, and after his quick thinking and brutal trap that lead to him escaping with his Demon, he was certain they would give chase. They were the hunted now, Hacker knew he wouldn't be able to trick himself again. They needed to run, but Demon...

"Angel..?"

Hacker's eyes widened some, and he turned his head back to The Demon with some surprise. They'd managed to open one eye, and Hacker wasn't sure whether to be happy or worried that they looked more tired than they looked pained.

"You should rest, Chara." Hacker smiled gently, taking their hand in both of his. He'd found himself doing that a lot since they got hurt. He wasn't sure why. He should have told them to suck it up and get off their ass because the two desperately needed to move, but when he looked at their face all he could manage was: "Everything's gonna be alright, I'll take care of it."

"Did you... Mean what you said back there..?" Demon asked, opening their other eye to look into his surprised emerald orbs. "About... Me being everything you have..?"

Hacker stared with confusion for a moment or two, before the corner of his mouth curled up into a slight smile. He couldn't help it, he thought that was a silly question. He'd ERASED his timeline, all friends he had a chance of making and all other lives he had a chance of living to go live carelessly across time and space with them. of course he'd meant every word of what he'd said.

He was about to make a joke, playfully chastise them for questioning something so obvious. But then, with what strength they had, they squeezed his hand. That made him feel oddly warm, and that's not something a killer like him was used to feeling. In fact, in context like this, he didn't think he'd ever felt this way. Their eyes were serious, pleading. They needed a real answer. An honest one.

"... Chara, of course I-"

"Ahem."

Hacker damn near hissed over his shoulder at the intruder, eyes losing that KINDNESS from seconds ago and being refilled with murderous intent. He was a cornered animal now, ready to slaughter anything that might threaten Demon's safety. So he was only half relieved when he found Badster looming like the malevolent hunchback he was, staring into him with those lightless eyes, poisoned with curiosity.

"... That's strike two, Gaster." There was venom on Hacker's tongue as he gradually climbed to his feet and begrudgingly let go of Demon's hand. He turned to face the doctor that had nudged him and his partner in this direction in the first place, standing protectively between him and Demon. "Your timing is one strike from costing you your arms."

"I've got spares." Badster dismissed with that crooked smile, letting those crazy eyes gloss to the side for a moment before they darted back to The Hacker. "Seems you two have had quite the run of bad luck."

"An eighteen karat run of bad luck, to be exact." Hacker narrowed those furious green orbs, and Badster noted the ink dripping from his clenched fists. "And I'm beginnin' to think the game was rigged from the start."

"Whoa now, lets not be too hasty." Badster lifted his hands defensively, and several other hands appeared in the same pose over his head before disappearing.

"I dunno doc, I'm startin' to feel kinda fuckin' hasty." Hacker took a step forward, and the three circling Beat Blasters all came to a stop, turning their speakers towards Badster and awaiting their next order.

"You are in a very sticky situation, Hacker." Badster's jaw curled up further, though he did not dare move under the watchful eye of The Hacker. "I've only come to lend you a hand and give you some useful information."

"Why?" Hacker demanded to know, jaw clenching and ink curling around his fingers. "Why have you been helping us? What do you stand to gain?"

"I'm a friendly man, Hacker." Badster spoke, but his lies only earned a warning flare from the Beat Blasters that loomed over head. A momentary flash of them charging that faded seconds later.

"Wrong answer." Hacker growled menacingly.

"Fine, fine. You make a very convincing argument." Badster shut his eyes for a moment, smile remaining plain on his face. "The Cter you faced is not any ordinary Cter."

"What do you mean?" Hacker watched skeptically, examining Badster's every move for any tell of a lie. He found none.

"He is the very same Cter The Hacker that defeated Error Sans." Badster's words struck The Hacker like a freight train. He'd heard the story, how could he not have? Him and Demon had traveled far and wide, met plenty of scummy multiverse figures, and they'd learned that with Cters, there was one above all. The one that massacred Error with his bare hands. Shattered his bones, detached his arms, and left him to die in a pool of dust and tears.

Hacker had heard it'd been effortless, and sudden. One second he's hiding with his Chara in a key fort, the next he's causing sonic booms with punches and sending Error rag dolling for miles. At least, that's what Hacker had heard. Word traveled from first source, to secondary source, to third, fourth, fifth, etc. And as is the nature of that kind of information transferal, fact thinned and fiction widened. The exact details were hard to ascertain, but the moral of the story was always that this Cter was the biggest and baddest Cter there ever was.

"You sent me n' my Chara to fight _that_ maniac?!" Hacker snapped furiously, stomping one step closer to Badster.

"Error was a personal friend of mine." Badster lied effortlessly, but Hacker was too enraged to pick up on whatever tell - if any - the doctor would display. "And I thought you and The Demon would be the best option for disposing of him on my friend's honor."

"We're thinking of the same Cter, right?" Hacker squinted suspiciously. "Because the one I'm imagining would mop the floor with the both of us."

"Cter The Hacker's strength that day was not his own." Badster tilted his head, that smile returning in all of it's haunting glory.

"To achieve that power, two things are required. A Cter," That crescent grin was all that existed on Badster's face, shadows obscuring his eyes. He lifted one finger first, and as he continued speaking he lifted a second, crossing it with the first. "And a Chara."

"..." Hacker didn't speak. He watched Badster for a moment, concern and curiosity written on his expression. Skeptically he looked over his shoulder at The Demon, who stared right back at him with the same uncertain expression.

"... What're you gettin' at, Gaster?" Hacker turned his head back to Badster, narrowing those emerald orbs and listening carefully.

"You two want to be stronger, yes? You want to kill your counterparts before they kill you, don't you?" Malicious eyes watched the desperate children, Badster tilting his head with his question.

"..." Hacker cast one final glance back at Demon. Seeing them laying there, hurt. Remembering every pretentious word out of that winged jackass's mouth. His jaw clenched, and fury ignited in his eyes. Then he let those eyes land back on Badster. "... Yeah. You could say that."

Badster's smiled curved and curled. His sockets went wide, and as he titled his head back, the pupils disappeared from them. The windows to his twisted soul were shut, cutting any shred of humanity from his expression. he reached out one skeletal hand to The Hacker, and in that moment he found the doctor reminiscent of what'd he'd imagined the Grim Reaper to look like.

 **"Then let me show you how."**

* * *

 **Next chapter will be the Thursday after this Thursday.**

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	33. Chapter 33: Paper Money

**Thanks go to Andyfire123, cassianaswindell123, Skele, 10burgers, Wingah, CrystalGamer82, fergusans18, GrayK, NBoss01, Jack54311, Monkey D. Chimera, and WhoWritesThisCrap.**

 **Sorry for the late update, my birthday was Tuesday and with Thanksgiving on Thursday I got a little caught up. But, happy Thanksgiving! I'm very thankful for you guys and all your thoughtful reviews! You all really brighten up my life with your appreciation of my work, I couldn't do it without you.**

 **Next chapter should hopefully be up in eight days, so a week from tomorrow! Now please enjoy the chapter! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Horrortale.**

* * *

Pity was a fickle feeling. Aliza was certain all of hers had dried up after watching Anarchy feed that cleaver swinging skeleton to his own shadow. And yet now, as she watched her best friend smash and shatter the bones of that taller skeleton with the crooked teeth, heard him cry out like some poor dumb animal that really didn't understand, she felt a little sick.

... Sick. That's how Anthony had seemed when he stared Papyrus in the face. The blood spattered monster had been asking about his brother, if the two had seen him around. Anarchy had answered with another question, one Aliza found quite odd.

"What's your name?"

"Me? Why, I am none other than The Great Papy-"

 **"Liar."**

That was the final sentence for the new pile of silver ash. The Anarchist had deemed him a liar, stared at him like a disgusting shell of something he considered beautiful. An imitation, a fake. Aliza thought it was interesting, seeing a beast as grizzly as Anthony so repulsed. But she supposed even her best friend had one rule, one standard. Horrible as he was, Anthony was honest. In all he did and all he was. Things that he deemed fake he deemed revolting. Things he deemed revolting he slaughtered.

Those were the kills he valued, the ones that had a reason behind them. Anarchy was in fact a force of nature, a thoughtless hurricane. Destruction was a part of his existence, where he walked people died. There was no reason, no purpose before or after. For reasons beyond mortal comprehension, Aliza concluded, Anarchy decided who lived and died with only one prejudice. Liars die worse. That was the only semblance of justice Chaos Incarnate followed. Everyone was ripped to shreds in the thousand mile an hour winds of his hurricane, but only liars were truly hunted. The only blood Anthony valued was dishonest blood. Everything else just happened to die in his presence. Just more blood in the rain of his ceaseless storm.

... With the exception of Aliza.

Staring at the red dripped blade of the meat cleaver Anarchy had gifted her, Aliza pondered her own value to Chaos Incarnate. She was worthless, of that she was certain. And yet Anthony saw her differently. He spilled his blood to protect her, carried her carefully. For her those winds that shredded innocent and guilty alike were gentle, delicate.

It was strange, being made to feel special. Her whole life she thought herself invisible, but in the pure ruby eye of Chaos Incarnate, the eye that valued nothing it saw and only found beauty in annihilation, she was visible. She existed there, and to that eye she was precious. Anthony's friendship was helping her to a very simple conclusion. Anarchy had - no, Anarchy WAS power, and that made him the decider of anything and everything. Only his opinion mattered in the grand scheme, and in his opinion she was important. That didn't just make her special, that made her MORE special than anyone else in the world. Well, Anyone other than Anthony.

She stared at him from a distance, hands clasped together at her chest. He was crouched there, over the dust that was his latest victim. She watched him lift his ash stained hand, and through the ivory hair that slipped in locks over his face she could see one of those scarlet eyes peering thoughtlessly at the remains of his victim staining his knuckles. Then, his tongue slipped out of his mouth and reached further than Aliza figured most tongues could reach, sliding over the back up his hand and lapping up that filthy dust without hesitation.

"... Sorry 'bout the delay." That eye glossed over to Aliza, who quickly stood at attention under it's gaze. "You must be cold. You can get back on my back now if ya want."

"... O-oh, right!" Aliza swiftly shook her head, returning from the trance her endless thoughts always put her in and scampering back over to her best friend.

"T-thank you!"

 **Chapter 33: Paper Money**

 _"What was the question?"_

* * *

 _He shouted at the top of his lungs, but they didn't understand a word. Their senses were overwhelmed, their blood was frozen, their body paralyzed._

 _They were a child, obscured by the writhing shadows that dropped over them. He was violent, striking her again and again with an open palm. She sobbed and she bled, but she didn't dare even try to protect herself. She fought against her flinches, denied her instincts to curl up into a ball and try to protect herself from this beating. She understood that if she did, that open hand would become a closed fist._

 _The child wanted to turn around. Run away. Look to the side, anything but watch their mother receive this treatment. They begged themself to turn a blind eye to these horrors for even a split second. A blink was all they wished for, but their bargain went unheard by their unresponsive body._

 _So they stared with wide, haunted eyes. The light of innocence was gone from those orbs. Pupils were shrunken, staring for a thousand yards._

Chara blinked their eyes shut to clear their thoughts, slowly drawing in a deep breath to calm their nerves. They exhaled, and their shoulders sank, then they opened their eyes again. Their orbs were lightless, rubies without luster as they once more stared out over the garden of gold that they were once buried beneath.

They sat there, knees pulled to their chest with their arms wrapped tight around. I stood a ways behind them, leaning my shoulder against the Ruins' wall and grimacing with anxiety. I knew this was gonna suck; me and them weren't on the best of terms lately. I considered turning around, walking away and giving them time to themself.

 _"... When things get stressful and difficult in a way that you aren't used to, it... It gets easy to play your cards wrong."_

... But I decided not to do that.

Chara lifted their head when they heard the leaves behind them crunching, glancing over their shoulder and dropping the weight of their gaze right on me.

"Uhh..." My eyes glossed to the side while I awkwardly rubbed my shoulder. "Hey."

"..." Chara narrowed their eyes at me, before turning their head forward. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now. I ate a Crab Apple on the way here, and that fixed up any remaining ouchies." I smiled some over at them while I took a seat at their side, but they never looked at me to see it. I paused for a moment, let my smile fade when I looked ahead. "... Thanks, by the way. For, saving me, I mean."

"What're friends for?" Chara asked with a lethargic shrug. They still didn't look at me, and the tension didn't get any less intense.

"..." My eyes narrowed shamefully, and I sighed before speaking again. "I'm sorry for putting you in that situation."

 _"How'd they react when I died?"_

 _"They, sobbed. Hysterically."_

"... I know it must've been scary."

Things were quiet. For a minute, Maybe two. Then the tension reached a head, and exploded.

"So, do you just spare everyone?"

"... What?" My eyes narrowed, and I turned my head to look over at them.

"Did you just happen to get lucky sparing me?" They turned those eyes on me, but this time I withstood their glare with my own. "Did you give me a chance because we're friends Cter, or because you were too much of a coward to kill me?"

*If only they knew how merciless you really are.

"Stop talking, Chara." I spoke in a low growl now, jaw clenching furiously. "You don't like how this argument ends for you."

"Does it end with you telling me the truth?" Chara pushed themself to their feet and I did the same.

"No, it ends with me getting very angry and saying some shit I'd rather not said." I warned clearly and concisely, hands clenching into fists at my sides.

"Like what, Cter?" Chara tilted their head, narrowing their razor sharp eyes. "Like how you're starting to rethink sparing me?"

I squinted my eyes and tilted back my head, shaking my head with one absolutely bewildered expression. "What the _fuck_ are you talking about?"

"Come on Cter, you've seen it!" Chara threw their arms into the air in a fit of frustration. "Future me, The Demon, even if I'm not the bad guy in the present I'm going to be the bad guy in the future! Don't try to say you haven't been thinking the same thing!"

"Chara, you are _you_ , not them!" I spoke like it was obvious, gesturing to them with one hand to emphasis my point on their individuality. "It doesn't matter that they decided to be bad, _you_ decided to be good!"

"So did future me!" Chara shook their head, eyes wide with denial. "But then they-!"

"But _you_ didn't!" I leaned forward just a little to be at eye level, grabbing them by the shoulders in attempt to steady them. " _You_ haven't done anything bad! You've been busting your ass trying to be better everyday, and I'm tired of you comparing yourself to some assholes who took the easy route!"

"I..." Chara's voice was quiet, but I could tell their thoughts were loud. They were trembling, and they looked down, shaking their head back and forth. "Nothing makes sense anymore..."

"What..?" I tilted my head and spoke quietly, so I was jarred when they suddenly shoved my arms off and stumbled back.

"Nothing makes sense!" They repeated furiously, lifting their head to look at me. Agony reflected in those red orbs. Pain and fear and confusion and doubt that spilled over, rolling down their cheek in one black tear. "Nothing _has_ made sense for six months now!"

"Hurting people felt good, it was easy! But then you came along and made it feel wrong! You made everything I was doing feel wrong!" They clenched their eyes shut as they shouted, fist tight at their sides and head tilted down so I couldn't see their miserable expression. "So I try to be good like you because that's supposed to make me feel _better_ , but it doesn't! Nothing does! I just feel shitty all the time and I hate it!"

"Chara..." I knew I was supposed to have something better to say, but before I could add something to pull my statement together, more words tumbled out of Chara's mouth.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." They mumbled over what sounded like a lump in their throat. "No matter how hard I try to be better, I... I still feel like a screw up..."

I couldn't speak. Empathy strangled me, made my KIND green eyes shine with concern. I opened my mouth to try to talk, but when I saw the tears dripping from their chin - tears that were lightening from black to a clear shade - words caught in a web of guilt.

"I'm not... As good as you..." Chara choked out the words, jaw clenching to stifle a sob. "I'm not as strong as you, I'm... I'm not even strong enough to protect you, after everything you've done for me..."

"Is that what this is about..?" I asked quietly, some confusion entering my concerned expression while I tilted my head to the side. "Me getting hurt..?"

"It's certainly one of the things this is about!" Chara snapped suddenly, startling me as they lifted their head and looked at me with watery eyes and tear stained cheeks. Their voice cracked and their lip quivered, but they still found the strength to power through and shout at me. "I mean, I was right there! Five feet away and I just _let_ him trick you! He could've killed you, and it would've been my fault!"

"Chara, that wasn't your fault." I spoke softly and carefully, reaching out and putting a comforting hand on their shoulder. "You believed in someone's ability to change, and no one should fault you for that."

"..." Chara was silent then. They hung their head again, sniffling and choking on the occasional sob. Things remained quiet, almost awkwardly so. After thirty long seconds of this passed, they lifted their head just enough to look expectingly at me from under their eyebrows. Another fifteen seconds passed, and then...

"... Are you gonna make me _ask_ for a hug, you sick son of a bitch?!" Chara suddenly snapped, throwing their arms angrily into the air and making me jump.

"N-no! Shit! Sorry!" I responded in a panic, frantically wrapping my arms around them and pulling them into an embrace that - at least to me - felt a tad awkward. "I just... Didn't take you for a hugger?"

"Everyone needs a hug sometimes!" Chara responded hysterically, knocking one fist on my chest to scold me.

"Okay, okay!" I exclaimed with revamped panic, wide eyes darting to the side while my cheeks turned a light pink. "I'm sorry!"

"You're the worst..." Chara mumbled dramatically into my chest. "The silver medal of my two friends for sure..."

I snickered a little at their joke, my panic subsiding some as I felt them start to relax. gently I rubbed their back with my hand while their sniffles and sobs came to a stop.

"... Look, I know things are scary right now. We're kinda suddenly looking down the barrel of everything that's wrong with the both of us and... It's an ugly thing to look at." I glanced to the side, expression softening with contemplation. "But we gotta keep it together out there, or they're gonna pick us apart."

"... I've got a bad feeling." Chara confessed after another few seconds. Their voice sounded more solid now, composed again.

"About what?" I furrowed my brows some, glancing down at them. They didn't look up, and I didn't blame them. I commended them for looking me in the face at all after crying like that, I didn't think I'd be able to do the same. But then again, the responsible handling of my emotions was never my strong suit.

"We were stronger than Hacker and Demon. They knew that." Chara's eyes narrowed at the dead leaves we stood upon. "They know we're going to be coming for them, too."

"... Yeah, that's all true." My own tone shifted to a darker shade, catching on to what Chara was getting at. "So you think..?"

"They're going to be racking their brains to think of a way to get stronger and fast." Chara lifted their head then, a lethal gleam in that right eye. "And I only know one way for a Chara and Cter to double their strength in an instant."

"..." I was silent for a moment, squinting in dark contemplation before I finally spoke.

"... We need to regroup with Future."

* * *

Wicked laughter echoed through the whipping winds and bright snow, and Aliza's eyes darting rapidly into the white out that shrouded Snowdin town - or, what was left of it, anyway.

It had started with a bar-... Well, more of a bar massacre than a bar fight. Eager glares and gnashing teeth turned to haunted eyes and begging screams. Now Aliza stood in the flaming remains of Grillby's, the building ignited by the bartender's corpse. The roof and front wall had been ripped away by Anarchy's familiar: The Onyx Scorpion.

Aliza was in awe, to say the least. She'd believed in her heart that Anarchy had unstoppable power, but now that she stood in a building turned bonfire and stared up at one kaiju sized arachnid. The earth and snow shattered apart under each of it's many legs, and with its mighty pincers it sliced buildings in two, sent stone crashing to the ground and made the mountain rumble.

Cowardly victims ran and mad victims gnawed at the legs of the beast, only to be batted away, crushed, or stabbed by the sharp ends of its uniramous'. Aliza had lost Anarchy in the chaos of his one man and one bug siege on Snowdin town, so she decided to stay put where Anthony had left her: in the only heated place in the whiteout blizzard.

She was huddled under a table to protect herself from any falling debris, eyes darting back and forth through the ivory storm while she clutched her cleaver tight in hand. With The Anarchist's mad raid she presumed whatever rabid animals that lurked in this town would be preoccupied throwing their corpses at Chaos Incarnate.

Her hopes were dashed and her hypothesis was disproven however when she heard a low, ravenous growl echo through the thrashing white sea. It was a four legged form, prowling low to the ground. Nothing but a black shadow at first, but soon a bloodstained, frothing maw came into view, and Aliza realized that this Great, feral dog was looking at her like she was a bowl of kibble. She was so terrified that she didn't even realize _Mr. Blue Sky_ by _E.L.O._ had started playing.

 _Morning! Today's forecast calls for blue skies!_

Watching the feral dog prowl closer, Aliza began to shake. Her fearful eyes trembled, locking onto the beast while she timidly wrapped her fingers tight around her weapon, pointing it in a pathetic threat at the vicious canine.

Greater Dog lunged, and Aliza squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away with an "Eep!"

"Sun is shinin' in the sky!" Anarchy happily sang as he burst from the surrounding wall of white. He slammed shoulder first into Greater Dog, and the two rolled to the floor, biting and clawing like the thoughtless animals they were. This barrel roll ended with Anarchy on top however, and he threw his arm up, letting his crowbar slide up into his grip before mercilessly bashing it across Greater Dog's flesh in three hellacious swings, each one sending blood and viscera flinging out across the tile floor. "There ain't a cloud in sight~!"

"It's stopped rainin', everybody's in the play, and don'tcha know?" Jumping up from his latest victim's pile, Anarchy smiled in that beautifully psychotic way, reaching out to Aliza with his one free and dusty hand, crowbar grasped tight in his other. He was inviting her into his hurricane. She was the honored guest to his chaotic, lunatic party. And suddenly, in the heart of death and devastation, she felt like Cinderella. "It's a beautiful new day! Hey-ayay~!"

"... R-runnin' down the avenue..." Aliza timidly began to sing along, a tiny smile crossing her lips as she crawled out from under her table. She kept her head low, looking up to Anarchy from under her eyebrows. She was happy to see his face light up further once she started singing along, and that gave her confidence to continue. "See how the sun shines b-brightly..!"

"In the city, on the streets where once was pity," Anarchy was glad to take her hand, twirling her in towards himself and tossing up his crowbar from his other hand. As he caught her in his other arm, he reached up, grabbed his crowbar from the air and - without breaking eye contact - smashed the metal right down through the skull of the bear Monster that had been creeping up behind her, lunging at just the wrong time. "Mister Blue!"

"Sky is living here today!" Somehow Aliza's smile grew as dust blew through the air and Anarchy dipped her, beginning to dance amidst this chaos. "Hey-ayay~!"

The shadows writhed up into the forms of blood thirsty worms around the two, but they all waved to and fro in a way that was oddly silly. But what would have struck her as the most odd - if she wasn't distracted by Anthony leading her in a dance across the shattered tile to the sound of the music - was when they opened their maws, and sang in different tones:

 _"Mr. Blue Sky_

 _Please tell us why_

 _You had to hide away_

 _For so long_

 _So long!_

 _Where did we go wrong?_

 _Mr. Blue Sky_

 _Please tell us why_

 _You had to hide away_

 _For so long_

 _So long!_

 _Where did we go wrong?"_

As the song reached an instrumental, Anarchy lead Aliza by the hand in some kind of tap dance. Neither of them had any concept of what they were doing of course, but neither of them cared. Aliza was smiling wide now, laughing somehow right along with her best friend. Carefully he walked her up the wayward bricks of a crumbling, smoldering wall. The wind tugged at their hair, sending it whipping in strange directions. Aliza was too busy having fun in this strange and wacky and twisted world The Anarchist was molding to notice the sting of the snow on her skin.

They reached the peak of the rubling wall, and Anarchy twirled, gesturing out to the chaos and devastation his Scorpion was reigning down. Buildings were crumbling, being smashed to pieces while monsters were crushed, stabbed, or devoured by the beast. And as some mangy rabbit woman made a B line towards the two, jumping from broken stone to broken wood to race up to their rubble hill's peak, Aliza saw a beautifully sadistic twinkle in the scarlet eye of Chaos Incarnate.

"Hey you with the pretty face!" Anarchy made a finger gun at the rabbit attacker just as she dove at him, a sparkle on his pearly white fangs, which were bared in his grin. She stabbed viciously at him with some gnarly, pointed tool, but he caught her by the wrist, spinning and slamming her down on her stomach, pinning her to the ground.

"Welcome to the human race!" Aliza sang right along as she yanked her cleaver over her head. In the presence of madness himself and with the encouraging wink he gave her, she was unhesitating in swinging right down and carving a vicious path through the woman's neck, parting her head from her shoulders and sending it tumbling down into the snow while it faded to dust like the rest of her body.

"A celebration," Anarchy gently took Aliza's hand as one of those massive worms bowed before the two, politely leading her from the flaming ruble and onto it's back. "Mister Blue Sky's up there waitin'!"

"And today," Aliza took hold of both of Anarchy's hands quite boldly, intertwining their fingers and grinning bigger than she ever had. She felt free and happy now, like any and all rules and judgement that had once restricted her were null and void in the company of The Anarchist. So she clung to him, and she sung with him, and she reveled in this perfectly upside down world. "Is the day we've waited for~!"

"Oooor~!" They sang together now, Aliza standing on her tippy toes to press her chest to Anarchy's and her cheek to his as well. The worm they rode now leaned over the form of the Scorpion, and Anarchy scooped Aliza up in his arms, hopping down from their current stead. Aliza let out an absolutely gleeful "Weee!" as the two plummeted, Anarchy landing on his feet upon the back of his arachnid. He let her down onto her bare feet, and the two began dancing in the way that two people do when they have no concept of what they're doing and are completely comfortable with that fact. All the while the worms joined back in with their horribly beautiful voices.

 _"_ _Oh, Mr. Blue Sky  
_

 _Please tell us why_

 _You had to hide away_

 _For so long_

 _So long!_

 _Where did we go wrong?_

 _Hey there Mr. Blue_

 _We're so pleased to be with you_

 _Look around see what you do_

 _Everybody smiles at you_

 _Hey there Mr. Blue_

 _We're so pleased to be with you_

 _Look around see what you do_

 _Everybody smiles at you!"_

"Mister Blue Sky~!" Anarchy joined back in, twirling and summoning a bloodstained hat from some unfortunate Madjick out of his inventory and placing it atop his head.

"Mister Blue Sky~" Aliza sang a little more softly, spinning around Anarchy and swiping the hat from his head, placing it on her own and pirouetting - or, some attempt at a pirouette - away.

"Mister Blue Sky-iy~!" Anarchy jumped after her, landing behind her as she finished her spinning and dipping her. She was startled by how fast he'd caught her, but ended up laughing anyway.

"Mister Blue, you did it right!" She sang, placing the hat back on Anarchy's head in a way that purposely covered his face. "But soon comes Mister Night!"

"Creepin' over, now his hand is on your shoulder," Anarchy laughed with his eyes covered, feeling Aliza start to fumble and climb over him to get onto his back again. "Nevermind!"

"I'll remember you this," Aliza wrapped her arms around Anarchy's shoulders after positioning herself on his back, smiling as she clung to him. "I'll remember you this way!"

 _"_ _Mr. Blue Sky  
_

 _Please tell us why_

 _You had to hide away_

 _For so long_

 _So long!_

 _Where did we go wrong?_

 _Hey there Mr. Blue_

 _Sky_

 _We're so pleased to be with you_

 _Sky_

 _Look around see what you do_

 _Blue_

 _Everybody smiles at you!"_

A choir of vicious beasts and hungry shadows sang gracefully while Anarchy and Aliza danced less than gracefully atop the Scorpion's back, which trudged on now, Leaving Snowdin in a mess of ash and embers. As the music began to fade, the two fell back onto the Scorpion's back, laying there and giggling like happy fools.

Aliza couldn't believe how comfortable she had felt, and so suddenly. In Anarchy's wonderland she had forgotten her mother's philosophies. She had sang at the top of her lungs, she had danced goofily upon the graves of her would-be abusers.

Here, on the back of the most terrifying beast she'd ever imagined, next to the most dangerous man in the universe, she felt safe, free, and happy.

* * *

F Chara sighed quietly, smoothing the head of black hair that rested in their lap gently with the palm of their hand. It was a pinch of sugar in what was a usually bitter life, the fact that Future still slept easier when they were around.

They sat and he laid on the couch. His crown set off to the side, the king rested his head comfortably in their lap. In his exhaustion he'd passed right out, like the thighs of his family's murderer was the most comfortable pillow in the world.

... Angel was always like that, F Chara thought as they watched his sleeping face with nostalgic contemplation. So stupidly forgiving and trusting. No matter how they hurt him, he always turned the other cheek, always offered a hand instead of a fist.

He had a way about him, Chara had discovered years ago. Somehow he always made them feel hopeful for a better future. For a change. Change. It was surprising that someone who struggled with the concept as much as Angel did always made it feel so easy to them. He knew how they felt, better then they did half the time.

... But not this time. They knew there was no going back now, even if Cter didn't want to admit it. There was no RESETing what they'd done. This ended one way and one way only.

Silently they tangled their fingers in Future's hair, eyes narrowing painfully. He looked happier than they'd seen him in years, a little smile lightening his sleeping features. They wondered if he dreamed. They wondered if they were in those dreams.

F Chara knew Future used to have dreams. Big ones, little ones. They used to talk for hours. Stay up late. His eyes would light up in a certain way when he talked about something that held his passion.

"... I'm sorry, Angel." They whispered, gently brushing strands of hair away from his forehead to further admire his soft, peaceful expression. "But things won't be easy this time."

"..." Chara shut their eyes, and for just a moment they let their hand cup their Angel's cheek. "... Even though I know you need them to be..."

 _Creeaaakkk..._

F Chara's eyes snapped open, and their head swiveled over to the front door across the room, which was slowly creaking open.

"Here..?" I asked with some confusion, eyes scanning over the walls of the solitary cabin while I hesitantly stepped inside. I'd never been to a place like this, and yet it felt familiar. Familiar, and...

Lonely.

Keeping my hand on the wood of the door, my emerald orbs glossed over every inch of the barely lit home. I could feel that I hated this place, but I also felt like some part of myself belonged here.

"Move quickly." Was all C Frisk said from where they stood at my side. Hands behind their back, they stared up at me with an expression that was less than expressive. "We're running out of time."

My eyebrows furrowed with a good measure of concern at that, but before I could ask for more details, Chara's voice rang from behind me, and their tone was more than startling.

"What. The hell. Are you doing?"

Their hand hit a light switch, ceiling lights flicking on and and illuminating the room. This startled me, sending a dull pain jabbing through my eyes and making me recoil. I blinked a few times to let my eyes adjust, then with a groan I looked over the room. I spotted who Chara'd been questioning right away, and my expression soured significantly.

"... Uhm." F Chara's eyes darted from us, to Future's head in their lap, to the wall at their side.

"... What the fuck is this?!" I angrily gestured to the two of them, and was further infuriated when Future groaned tiredly, lazily waving a hand at me like he wanted me to quiet down and let him sleep.

"He was... Very tired." F Chara answered hesitantly, still not daring to meet my eyes or Chara's. They looked nervous and awkward, which wasn't comforting.

"And there wasn't a _bed_ available?!" I snapped, continuing to angrily flail my arms around like I was one of those blow up things at a car dealership.

"Erm..." F Chara's eyes narrowed skeptically when they looked at me, like they were trying to understand their own blatant lie. "... Nooo..?"

"Eugh..." Future groaned tiredly, rubbing his eyes as he slowly sat up. He yawned, stretching his arms behind his head, before finally blinking those empty eyes at Chara and I. "Yeah, what? Did'ja handle those pests er what?"

"... They got away." I answered hesitantly, my eyes lowering and my confused anger subsiding. As much as I wanted to grill him for answers, I knew the questions he had for me were a lot more pressing. "I was, KO'd for a bit. That's why it took us so long to get back."

Future opened his mouth - probably to ask me how I managed that one - when an earth shattering boom pierced our ears, and all four of us jumped.

"What was that?!" Future's eyes darted frantically to C Frisk, who looked a lot less calm than they had a moment ago.

"We've run out of time!" Was the only explanation they offered, and a rift in space time tore open at their side while they looked between the four of us. "All of you, go! You have to stop them!"

My eyes narrowed at C Frisk while panic overtook the room. Something about their sudden emotion, their tone and their expressions...

*Dishonest.

I knew an act when I saw one. When you get good at lying you pick up on its nuances, and bad liars are glass to you. Transparent. C Frisk wasn't lying directly, but something was being hidden. I was certain they knew something I didn't, and that they didn't want me to know.

But...

"Chara, my crown." Future glanced back at F Chara, who had stood from the couch and summoned their blade in hand. They grabbed his crown from the end table at the couch's arm, tossing it to Future, who snatched it from the air and planted it on his head.

There was no time for that.

"Through the portal, now!" Future didn't hesitate to wave us towards the warp in reality, jumping through immediately after his order.

F Chara followed after him, but when they got one leg through the portal, they caught their younger counterpart's glare in their guilty eyes. I watched them freeze up, could tell they wanted to say something to their disgusted other self. But Chara didn't give them the time of day.

"Move. **Now**."

It was interesting watching a Chara react to my own Chara's wrath. Seemed they could even intimidate themself.

Both Charas disappeared through the warp, and I stepped up last. As I did, I couldn't help but shoot C Frisk a suspicious glance. With me paused there and staring at them like I didn't trust them, I could see them getting anxious. They fidgeted under my gaze, before finally gesturing urgently to the portal I was halfway through.

"W-well?!"

"... Right." I squinted at them, before pushing myself the rest of the way through the wormhole.

"..." As the portal disappeared, C Frisk shut their eyes and let their shoulders sink. A deep sigh escaped their lungs, and anxiety churned in the pits of their ethereal stomach.

Cter The Hacker. The Angel, the killer of Error Sans. But he needed to be more. He needed to fight Character, and he needed to win. It was for the greater good that they let things get this far, even if others had to get hurt. A few lives meant nothing in the face of the infinite.

 _"How could I ever be nice and friendly, my dear ghosty?_

 _WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD WANTED ME TO BE LIKE THIS?!"_

C Frisk clenched their eyes and their jaw shut tight, a tremor running through their body as they remembered looking into the eyes of The Anarchist. Hearing him speak directly to them, and even _feel_ his bloodied hand on their's. He was terror, he was napalm death, and every second he had breath in his lungs was a second they were wasting and he was using to get even stronger.

Frisk hated him, and they feared him. They couldn't understand his madness, couldn't calculate his chaos. Everything they'd worked for, the uncountable amount of hours they'd spent since they were cast across the multiverse, made to exist everywhere and nowhere at all, was up in the air so long as The Bastard Son was swinging that crowbar.

They had one plan, one man for the job and one chance to put reigns on the multiverse that the 21 DoubleTale kids had sent on a wild charge. But if Cter didn't get stronger fast, the only title of his that would matter would be "Victim of Anarchy".

* * *

"C'mon, where'd everybody go?!"

Ink lashes as thick as an oak trunk swung and whipped, crashing through stonework and sending house and home crumbling to the ground. Under the overcast sky two human souls in one body crushed the pavement under their feet.

They made their way down the empty roads of an evacuated Ebbot City, flicking their wrist and sending an eraser blasting from the earth, ripping up the hardened tar of the street and punching over some apartment complex. The wood, brick, and drywall structure groaned its death throes while it slowly tumbled backwards, crashing over whatever parked cars and abandoned ice cream stands were at it's other side.

"Everyone and their mother comes outta the woodwork when we're weak," Character ground their teeth furiously, holding their arms out to their sides. They glanced around the devastation they'd thoughtlessly rained down with two wide, bloodshot and scarlet eyes. Through their DETERMINATION and their LOVE they were seeing red. Their mind was set on one track now, and it ended on annihilation. "But now that we're ready suddenly you assholes all tuck your tails and scurry away!"

BOOM.

Character spun on their heel at the roar of my Beat Blaster, cocking back one fist that was suddenly alight in crimson mist and slamming the wave of white energy with a left hook that rerouted the blast. It curved right back through the sky, launching clear over my head and disappearing into the clouds.

"There he is!" Character grinned from ear to ear as they saw me standing atop the roof of the building at the end of the street. "It's about time! Here I was starting to think Hacker really did kill ya!"

"Better men have tried." I responded solemnly as I hopped from the rooftop, dropping down to the street and landing on my feet. My hands rested comfortably in my pockets, the chilled green of my eyes resting with contempt on the fusion of mine and Chara's mistakes.

"We learned your little trick, Cter." Character's hands clenched into tight fists, more red smoking up from their knuckles as they narrowed those vengeful eyes on me. "Now we're gonna rip you limb from limb."

"I've got a new trick these days." I responded without a flinch. Then, I lifted my hands from my pockets, bent my elbows, and clenched my fists tight at my sides. My soul appeared on my chest as a scarlet aura burst to life around me, firing into the dark sky like crimson hope. A similar flame ignited over my left eye, and with the ink wings that whipped open from my back, I ascended to Archangel.

"Flashy." Character complimented bitterly, their jaw clenching at the sight of my wings. As my aura died down, the pillar of red light being sucked right back into my DETERMINED soul, Character began trudging towards me. "But if you think you can take us on solo, then-"

Character paused suddenly, their body restrained mid-step in a PATIENT blue light. Their eyes narrowed furiously, darting over their body with quick realizations. They didn't seem particularly frightened however, any real emotions hid behind a murderous mask.

"I'd've been a real dumbass, right?" A smirk curled my lips, my emerald eyes momentarily glancing past Character to the other end of the street, where Future stood. He reached out with one hand, a glowing cyan light emanating from his pen bracer.

BANG. BANG.

Character's eyes twitched in their restrained state as two red bolts carved through each side of their head, exiting the other side and leaving four holes total in their skull. I wasn't sure if it was death or Future's grip that kept them unmoving, but either way I reached out one hand towards them, seven Beat Blasters appearing over my head in an arch and igniting with their ivory blaring death.

"But if you really knew anything about me," My eyes went wide as I tilted my head back, expression turning to a disgusted scowl. "You'd know I'm more of an intricate plan kinda guy."

White hot light burst through the air, rapidly closing the distance between Character and I and flooring them with scorching energy. The collision of the seven beams caused a blast of light and fire, making me wince my eyes. But seconds later the flare disappeared, leaving nothing but the smoke of burnt pavement in its wake.

"Did we get them?" F Chara called from the left of the steaming crater in the earth, looking over the shattered wall they crouched behind.

"Keep your guard up!" Chara ordered from the right side of the smoke, peeking over the massive pile of debris they crouched upon.

"..." Future slowly lowered his outstretched hand, spear clenched tight in his other fist.

My eyes narrowed into the black mist, teeth grinding with anticipation. Anxiety built more and more as the smoke finally began to fade, and just as I thought we were about get a clear look...

 _ **Bump bump...**_

I heard my pulse in my ears. Fear jump started my heart when that wave of nothing but killer desire hit my soul. I could feel the power looming from Hacker and Demon's culminated soul. I could feel their wrath, their hate, their need to hurt me. To kill me.

Footsteps echoed, and all four of us held our breath.

". . ." Their form appeared gradually. They sauntered up from the crater like they'd felt nothing at all. Whatever holes were in their skull had been sealed in a red light, and the only tell that they'd even been struck at all were the embers on the shoulder of their black striped T-shirt.

Character's crimson eyes were locked with my green ones, and I could feel cold sweat breaking out on my forehead as they slowly reached up, patting out the embers on their shoulder.

 **"... Ow."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	34. Chapter 34: Upon The Alter

**Thanks go to Skele, Okami Endless, 10burgers, Monkey D. Chimera, Zack Frost, Linki, saltythebear, WhoWritesThisCrap, Tbone8454, Jack54311, Wingah, Your Midnight Scribe, Genowar, and cagrijan1904.**

 **Sorry about the extra time this chapter took, but it needed a little more work than I originally anticipated, and I've been very busy lately. Expect the next chapter sometime between a week and two weeks from now.**

 **To answer your question saltythebear, my writing process starts with me thinking of the big points in the series, and then filling in the blanks more and more until I reach them. I have the ground work for where I want to go, and as I get more ideas I go back over my work to make sure I don't create any plot holes and that every important detail is well put together and flows well. As for just standalone chapters, I slap it all in the doc and then go back over it for spelling and to add more detail and make things better overall. I hope that answers your question! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Horrortale.**

* * *

 _Clunk... Clunk... Clunk..._

Her metal boots crashing forcefully to the tile floor, the empress stomped through the dark mess of a lab. Her one mad, yellow eye darted to and fro, glossing over the random papers that dropped haphazardly over the floor and scattered across every messy desk. Alphys always wrote cryptic nonsense that was hard to understand, even before the CORE shut down. But the looks of these notes was nothing but eerie, even to the queen of this mad world. Random words, scribbled over and over. Overlapping.

"DARK"

"FEAR"

"CHAOS"

"SHADOWS"

"WORMS"

Occasionally there was a sketch. A drawing here and there of some metal tool or some kind of bug or - Undyne was made the most uneasy by these - an incredibly detailed eye, colored in with a deep red. Sometimes it was just one, sometimes there was a pair, and sometimes beneath them was a curled, sharp tooth smile.

"Alphys?" Undyne shouted out into the dark, squinting some at the eerie bluish white light at the distant end of the lab. Inside that light she saw a meek figure, stumbling and shivering while it ran its hand in purposeful patterns over the wall. After another few moments, its legs gave out, and it dropped against the wall on its shoulder, sliding down to slowly curl into a ball against the metal opposite to the flickering and flashing screens.

Growling with aggravation at her scientist's lack of response, the empress clenched her fists at her sides. She stomped with increasing speed towards the trembling doctor, entering the unsettling light of the screens.

"Alphys! What are you doing?!" Undyne demanded to know furiously, looming over her pathetic underling. Her snarl grew in rage when Alphys didn't so much as lift her head, Undyne's one eye narrowing with lethal precision. "Look at your empress when she's speaking to you!"

"I-... In... Side..."

"What?!" Undyne boomed in furious retaliation to Alphys' barely audible squeak.

"Have to... Get them... Out..."

"Speak up!" Undyne ordered, slamming her heel into the floor to get the shaking reptile to lift her head and raise her voice.

"W-... Worms..." Finally the doctor lifted her head, and Undyne's gold tinted orb went wide. Her face went pale. Alphys unwrapped herself from her blood and dust stained lab coat. There were tears in her cowardly and frightened eyes as she looked upon her empress. "They're... They're inside..! H-have to get them out!"

"A-Alphys, what are you talking about?!" Undyne took a step back, shaking her head as her eye drifted down to the vicious stab wounds that bled and dusted down Alphys' stomach. Then, her stunned orb creaked over to the bloodied knife clenched in her shaky claw. "You idiot! What did you do?!"

"THEY'RE GONNA EAT ME!" Alphys clenched her eyes shut tight with her ear piercing scream, yanking that blade high above her head and pointing the tip back towards herself. Undyne could only watch in confusion and terror as Alphys plunged her knife down, further shredding her own belly. Screaming and sobbing she pulled the blade up and down, stabbing herself over and over with what life she had left in her dusting body. "GET OUT! GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!"

Her shoulders slowly sinking with her hopeless expression, the empress could only watch with silent dismay as her mad scientist ripped herself apart. Madness and suicide and a link between the two was not uncommon in the underground. In fact it was so frequent that even as Undyne watched someone she had loved once - a distant memory these days - she felt hardly anything at all. She was more frustrated than anything, watching the loss of such a valuable asset. Alphys was the only brilliant mind she felt she could trust. But that mind was destroyed now, ripped itself apart to get away from its own darkness. And as Alphys' screams and cries faded to ash, Undyne's ears picked up on another sound.

 _"You wanna see scary?!"_

Four words, punctuated by bloodcurdling screams that Undyne thought familiar. Gradually she pivoted, turning her back momentarily on the worthless pile of dust and letting her eye land upon the many flickering monitors. The cameras in the Underground worked like every other electronic: Barely or not at all. They had very little power left, and Undyne had decreed that only certain people were allowed to use certain machines at certain times. What had possessed Alphys to turn on the shaky, low resolution and in some cases black and white cameras Undyne would never know, but what had made her stab herself to death was becoming more clear.

 _"You wanna see scary?!"_

Footage was looped, different scenes replaying over and over again. Some showed Monsters being beaten to death, effortlessly slain by one cruel crowbar. One or two peaked into a raging snow storm, peering a massive bug leg or some freakish pincer crashing through a building. Writhing black worms entangled Monsters, laughing hysterically while they ripped them to shreds and feasted upon their dust with long tongues and sharpened teeth. But above the rest of the carnage, two particular videos stuck out to the empress.

 _"You wanna see scary?!"_

Sans. The poor, disobedient fool. His bones cracked and shattered apart from the inside, those worms bursting with sadistic cackling from his body, only to curl back around and keep gnawing on his bones. He was suspended in air on one powerful hand, and judging from the way he writhed and kicked and screamed, Undyne guessed that his death had brought him great pain.

 _"You wanna see scary?!"_

Then, at the very center of the flashing monitors, she saw him clearly. The massacre-er of Monsters, the master of the worms. The least human-looking human Undyne had ever seen, this one had pale white skin and snowy hair, along with piercing red eyes that stuck out drastically from the rest of his happy expression. Though his grin was giddy and gleeful, his eyes were cold and lifeless. He knelt down, stared directly into the camera, and waved excitedly. Then he leaned in and breathed on the lens, coating it with condensation before drawing a heart in said water vapor. Then, the feed cut, and replayed from the beginning.

"What... What is this..?" Undyne slowly stepped back, wide eye unable to leave the smiling face of The Anarchist. She took several backwards steps, before her foot landed in dust and her back hit a wall. This made her snarl with paranoia, spinning around to face the wall and stumbling, her foot sliding on the ash of some Monster she used to know and making her fall back.

She landed flat on her ass, but didn't so much as wince. She was grasped entirely by one sight: the message Alphys had written in her own blood and dust across the cruel steel wall.

 **BE AFRAID OF THE DARK**

 **Chapter 34: Upon The Alter**

 _"I don't want to wake up..."_

* * *

Things had been quiet for a good while. Anarchy and Aliza - pretty much entirely Anarchy, apart from one poor rabbit - had decimated Snowdin town, and for a short while they'd rode The Onyx Scorpion through the early muck of Waterfall. But, inevitably, they reached a bridge that was far too rickety for however many tons the kaiju arachnid weighed. So they stood in the lowly dirt once more, and Aliza watched as Anarchy laid his hand upon his beast, and it faded to darkness, rapidly slithering over his arm and pouring into his bottomless soul.

She was fixated on that ruby heart that glowed brightly upon the chest of The Anarchist. It absorbed that shadow, that hate and that fury. All of Anthony's malice and wicked desire loomed in the crimson depths of his beautifully twisted soul, The Scorpion a tip to an iceberg. That peak revealed itself for a few short seconds after the beast was entirely consumed, Aliza furrowing her brows with some confusion at the strange sight.

It was darker than black, the left half of Anarchy's soul. Split perfectly down the middle, the right side was red like the blood that had dried down his neck and in some dots up his cheek. The left was vantablack. Darker than the scorpion and the worms. It was black as the rot that cured Anthony's sanity, stomped out whatever once made him a mortal man and birthed a vengeful god into this wretched world.

But, just as quickly as it came, that darkness faded back into the scarlet light of Anthony's DETERMINED soul, before the heart as a whole disappeared back into his chest.

"Alright, you ready to go?" Anarchy glanced over his shoulder back to Aliza, making her jump slightly with a voice suddenly shaking her out of her thoughts.

"O-oh! Yup!" She smiled wide and sheepishly, and Anarchy stared with some confusion at her. His hands were in his pockets, his head leaned back some while he looked her over. After a moment, he scoffed with amusement, his dry lips curling up some.

"... W-what is it..?" Aliza shrunk some, blushing in minor embarrassment while her best friend shook his head.

"Why're you so jumpy?" Anarchy asked with a casual tone as he walked past her, glancing over to her as he did so. "Seems like you get distracted real easy."

"E-erm," Aliza stumbled over her words, turning to watch Anarchy walk a few steps before quickly skittering to catch up to him. "W-well, I-"

"Were you one'a those serious ADHD kids?" Anarchy spoke before she had the chance, tilting his head to look over at her as she caught up to him. "Y'know, the ones who'd just blank face stare at nothing during recess? All strung out on Ritalin and Adderall?"

"U-uhm, no, I-"

"Those kids were _weird_ , right?" Anarchy cocked a brow, the bridge creaking beneath their feet as the two of them walked across the dilapidated wood. "And trust me, I know weird kids. I was the albino kid. Don't get no weirder than that."

Aliza found herself snickering just a little at Anarchy's honesty and lack of a filter, but she still shook her head to dismiss his worries.

"No, no, nothing like that." She smiled lightly, holding her hands together in her lap. She hesitated, however, after a moment of thought, and her pleasant expression faded some. "... I just, learned to internalize things. G-guess it gave me a bit of a uhm... L-loud imagination. Ehehe..."

"Oh yeah?" Anarchy watched her curiously as he strolled along, furrowing his brows. "And why'd'ja start stuffin' your words in, exactly?"

"... My mother." Aliza looked ahead, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully and painfully. She was so lost in whatever wretched memories might've been crossing her mind that she didn't see Anarchy perk up some at the mention of a mother. "She... Thought it might be, b-better if I was... More of a passive girl."

"Passive?" Anarchy repeated, his expression softening with some confusion.

"She... Had a saying." Orbs squinting with some kind of resentment, Aliza looked to the side. She was scowling now, in a way Anarchy had never seen on her before. He thought it was a good look. More honest. "She used to tell me, whenever I was too loud or too energetic, that 'a good girl is a quiet girl'."

"..." Anarchy was silent. He just stared ahead, expression hard to read. Maybe saddened by nostalgia, maybe enraged by it.

"Looking back, I... I think I was an accessory to her." That scowl faded to a lighter shade, and Aliza's shoulders sunk some. "A piece of jewelry to be shiny and pretty and... Inanimate."

"... Moms are tough." Anarchy finally spoke, surprising Aliza some and making her look over to him. He didn't return her gaze, thoughtful rubies focused on the path ahead. That's always where he looked, she had noticed.

"You had a mom?" Hearing it out loud, Aliza thought that was a dumb question. Seeing the look Anarchy shot her way, she figured he thought it was a dumb question, too.

"I think so." He answered, and she didn't know if he was being sarcastic or not. "Guess it depends on how ya define the word."

"What was she like..?" Aliza asked with care, holding her hands together at her chest.

"... She desperately needed love." Anarchy spoke with a surprising amount of thought, letting his usually murderous eyes drift to the glittering ceiling above. "But she was too horrible to ever accept it."

"... Did you love her?" Aliza slowly tilted her head to the side, concern for her friend shining in her eyes.

"I tried to." Anarchy shrugged absently, a frown gracing his face. "But, ya get pushed away long enough and you get tired'a waitin'."

Aliza was confused by this oddly human tale The Anarchist was spinning. To find that she could relate in a way to someone so fantastically grand. She supposed it made sense, that Anthony's mother was 'horrible', as he described her. Amazing as she thought Anarchy was, she also knew that a mother's love properly distributed would never let a child end up as terrifically twisted and unbelievably out of the ordinary as Chaos Incarnate was. At least, she wanted to believe that. She'd never felt that kind of love either, so she guessed she'd never know for sure.

Anarchy lifted his head some, glancing over to her with a surprised rise of his eyebrows. Aliza hadn't said a word, instead choosing to gently place her hand upon Anthony's arm. When he looked at her, she smiled with care, and kindness in her eyes.

"..." Anarchy returned that smile, as sweetly as his charred heart would allow.

"You're alright, Aliza."

* * *

Aliza stared with wide eyes at the massive drop that loomed before them. It looked as though years ago the bridge had been snapped, the remaining wood long since plummeted into the darkness of the abyss.

"You afraid'a heights?" Anarchy asked, shooting a casual glance over to his best friend. She looked back with wide eyes and a face almost as pale as his.

"I'm afraid of everything." Aliza answered honestly, and the Bastard Son laughed like she'd told a knee slapper of a joke. Then, with the twirl of his finger, the darkness of the chasm below swirled and twisted, morphing into one long worm that spiraled like a spire's staircase down into the shadow below.

"Never fear!" Anarchy was unhesitating in lifting Aliza up in one arm, making her let out a startled "Eep!". With his free hand, he summoned that sapphire shield in his grasp. Then, to his best friend's displeasure, he began walking swiftly towards the ledge. "Anarchy's here!"

"W-wait waIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING-?!"

Aliza let out a terrified shriek as Anarchy dove over the edge, gripping fistfuls of his shirt and clinging to him for dear life as the two plummeted. Anarchy, on the other hand, was laughing hysterically, his face yanked up like he was having the time of his life.

As the two dropped, The Anarchist tossed his shield down onto the twisting body of the worm, landing on its back and beginning to slip down the dark beast's back like a skateboarder down a rail. But instead of a board, he rode his sapphire shield. And instead of a rail, it was a freaky creature from the depths of his twisted imagination.

"Woooo!" He shouted into the aether, crazy flickering in his wide scarlet orbs.

"H-how often do you d-do this?!" Aliza cried out, her horrified eyes and shrunken pupils unable to so much as blink away from the abyss that they radically plummeted into.

"Literally any time I get the chance!" Anarchy called right back, snow white hair whipping back behind his head from the velocity at which they shredded down to whatever murky earth below.

"Y-you're very good at it!" Aliza said out loud. While technically it was a compliment, it was more her reassuring herself that she was safe than it was a stroke to The Anarchist's ego. He was skilled in more ways than feasibly possible for a regular human, she was certain there was no danger for her here.

With that thought in mind, she felt her body begin to relax. Her breathing steadied, and the fear in her eyes ebbed away. A smile even started to tug at the corners of her mouth. This rush of adrenaline was amazing. Her heart in her ears, the wind in her hair. She felt alive, something she hardly felt. At least, until she met Anthony, that was.

"W-woooohoooo!" She found the confidence to shout out, and though the sound seemed admittedly stupid in her ears, Anarchy shouted his agreement in another silly primal noise, his grin widening joyously.

The ride went on for thirty seconds more, and by the end the two were both hootin' _and_ hollerin'. Anarchy hopped from the end of the worm, a smiling maw of jagged teeth that Aliza had already grown familiar with. As the two flung from the creature, Anarchy performed a kick flip on his shield, before landing on what seemed to be the rotted remains of the chunk of bridge that had plummeted down here ages ago and skidding to a stop.

"Well?" Anarchy asked, setting Aliza down gently before stepping on the edge of his shield, sending it flipping up. He caught it on his arm, and it disappeared back into his inventory. "Did'ja have fun or did'ja have fun?"

"I-it was kinda like a roller coaster..." Smiling timidly, she rubbed her shoulder, looking to the side. "Scary at first, but once I realized I was safe, it was... A-actually kinda fun..."

"You're a regular thrill chaser, Aliza." Anarchy joked, patting her on the back. Then he turned around, taking a bold step into the ankle high water that surrounded their chunk of wood plateau.

"... Huh..." After a moment of smiling from Anarchy's little joke Aliza furrowed her brows with a sudden thought. A curiosity, and a question she was surprised she hadn't thought to ask. "Thrill chasing..."

"Mm?" Anarchy turned his head to look at her upon hearing her muttering, standing ankle deep in that filthy water while she remained just inches away from the muddy depths.

"Anthony, is that..." Aliza paused, glancing to the side to gather her thoughts before her eyes darted back to him. "Is that why you uhm..."

"Murder?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side, and his blunt phrasing made her jump.

"U-uh, yeah... T-that." She held her hands together at her chin, lowering her head like she was half attempting to hide her face away. She was speaking without being spoken to, after all. And that wasn't something she was familiar with. "N-not that there's, anything wrong with that, I'm just... Curious..?"

"Well, you killed somebody earlier, didn'tcha?" Anarchy cocked a brow, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "How'd that make ya feel?"

Aliza's eyes went wide, and she recoiled some. That was true, she _had_ killed somebody. A rabbit woman, her memory told her. She'd cleaved right through her neck, sent her head tumbling down into the snow. It felt cathartic, seeing the surprise and the fear forever imprinted on that lifeless face as it rolled out of sight. It felt good, it felt fantastic. Without a thought, her answer slipped out from between her lips. "... Like a god..."

"Pfff!" Anarchy's eyes widened when he heard that, laughter immediately jumping out of his throat. He threw his hands up defensively, speaking through his giggling. "Whoa! Okay maniac, take 'er easy!"

"W-well how does it make you feel?!" Aliza blushed brightly with embarrassment, crossing her arms and huddling herself close, shrinking from her best friend's laughter. "Why do y-you kill people?!"

"Ehhh... It's a little hard to explain." Anarchy gave an iffy hand motion, shrugging. Then he looked to the side, holding his chin in thought. "It's kinda like... An itch in my brain? I crush a skull or two and I scratch it. Then some time goes by, and it comes back. So I gotta kill somebody again."

"'Least, that's why the extras die. Either to scratch the itch or because they were just kinda in my path o' destruction. Most'a the time it's both reasons." Anarchy's expression was casual, lacking any semblance of emotion towards these 'extras' he mentioned. "I never remember their faces. I see 'em more like little embers'a life that I like stompin' out."

"You talk like the extras are something, separate..." Aliza pondered quietly, narrowing her eyes some. "Are there faces you _do_ remember? Are there kills that matter to you?"

"Hm." Anarchy scoffed with some amusement, venom entering his eyes as his expression darkened. It made her uneasy, the way the corners of his lips curled into such a sweet, adoring smile.

"Aliza..." He nearly sung her name, and that made a chill run down her spine. He turned away from her, holding his hands behind his back and letting those ruby orbs peer over the trash that surrounded them. "Have you ever loved someone?"

"Huh..?" Aliza slowly tilted her head, watching Anthony's back carefully. She considered his question carefully, knowing that an honest answer was the only answer The Anarchist would accept. She didn't have to think long however, it was an easy inquiry. Her whole life had been loveless and without any value at all. She'd never given love, and she'd never been the recipient.

"... No. No I haven't."

"And what about hate?" A glimmer in his crimson eye, Anarchy turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. In the dim light of Waterfall, the murderous red of Chaos Incarnate's eyes was a scarlet mist, creeping through the dark towards any and all that he looked upon. "Have you ever hated someone?"

Another easy question, Aliza thought as her expression hardened. Her lips sunk into a frown, her own poison entering her eyes. She could see that her sour expression pleased The Anarchist, who's smile crept a little further up his face. "... Yes. A lot of people."

"Then you understand." That was the only answer Anarchy offered before he turned himself back to face her. From the filthy mud and polluted water he reached out to Aliza on her rickety and rotted safe haven, offering his hand to lead her through the filth.

"..." Aliza was quiet, her purplish-blue eyes landing the hand before her. Pale and stained with blood and dust. Anarchy hadn't answered her question, at least not in a way she could fully comprehend. Still, she didn't hesitate in reaching out.

Gently his ivory fingers wrapped around hers, and he lead her into the mud.

* * *

Six long months. What an investment, and in a field with as many variables as this. Any sane scientist would call Badster a madman. But a sane scientist was no scientist at all, as far as the doctor was concerned.

But, he had to admit as he watched his subject parade through Waterfall with that dead weight in a violet dress, even he wasn't crazy enough to understand Anarchy's philosophy. He didn't grasp his interest in that meek and fearful human, and beyond that he didn't understand his interest in the jumping devil. The one that had stolen that crown from Chaos Incarnate back in the Deltarune timeline he'd distorted the code of.

For a mortal man, Badster would have thought it pride. Anger from being disrespected and stolen from. But Anthony was not a mortal man. He did not tick in the same tune as mankind or monsterkind. The only one he seemed to resonate with was Cter The Hacker, and that too Badster did not comprehend.

Anarchy had another reason for seeking out the mad jester. Badster would have had trouble believing that Jevil was still paying attention to Anarchy, that he hadn't just ran off to some circus across reality to hide his face from The Scorpion's wrath. He would have, if he held the two at the standard that he held the things he understood. But the clown and the killer eluded him. The only thing he knew about them was that he knew little to nothing about them. When the two spoke they spoke in riddles, twisted and hidden meanings. They followed a foreign compass, spoke a different language, bled a different color.

"..." Silently, the doctor shifted his looming form. He craned over a different warp in the void, peering with corrupt eyes through one way glass, a half invisible window. He saw a crumbling city. Fire rained with ink and pens. A demi god stood with three mortals against a titan. He smiled, just a little.

Though Badster couldn't help but see The Anarchist's wild mime chase as frivolous, he also knew that Cter needed more time. He needed to pass this test, or he wouldn't even challenge Chaos Incarnate, and Badster will have not only wasted his time but also his life. The fact of the matter was, once Cter was gone, it was likely Anarchy would have little use for Badster. And The Bastard Son didn't like dead weight.

And that thought brought Badster's eyes back the girl in the purple gown. Poor, weak little Aliza. If Badster were to compose a dictionary, there would surely be a photo of her next to the word 'pointless'. He admired Anarchy's patience for putting up with the girl just to reach his goal of the reality and reason defying court clown, but surely this story ended with her life, did it not?

Anarchy was a terminal disease. Once he sees someone's face, it is only a matter of time until they died. Whether it be seconds or months was all his decision. Badster knew this to be his own fate as well before he introduced himself to The Anarchist, but had made the choice that his experiment was worth more than his lifespan. No one knew better than him that whatever Anarchy put his mind to, he did. No ifs no ands no buts.

But... He also knew he promised this young woman her safety. Anthony was many things, but a liar was not one of them. So what would her fate be? Would he abandon her in this dead timeline? Would he erase her with the rest? Or would he honestly drag her along for the rest of his journey?

Thinking about it, that probably depended on Jevil's intervention, or lack thereof. Badster scowled. Jevil. To Anarchy he was a prophet. Someone The Anarchist believed had seen the end and the beginning. To Badster he was a pain in the pelvis. Some rouge code that knew more than it should. Whether that was from Badster editing him when he first changed that Deltarune timeline to his liking or from the chaotic clown's own twisted existence before then or some wretched combination of the two the doctor was unsure. Like he was unsure of a lot of things these days.

The only thing he could be sure of was that the day of reckoning was fast approaching, and he feared he had under prepared. Perhaps he should have intervened more with Cter The Hacker, but that would have drawn too much attention to himself. And if Cter came looking for him, Badster doubted he'd be able to keep him and Anarchy from starting their fight prematurely. So he'd played it subtle, left things in CORE Frisk's shaky hands. He saw now that was a mistake.

If Cter failed to rise to Character's challenge, he would certainly fail to rise to Anarchy's. And that made Badster uneasy. If those two could not put on a battle to shake the multiverse, then it would be a setback beyond setbacks. Badster would have to look into other options to challenge The Anarchist, of which there were few.

... But, he did have two ideas. Two fall back plans. If a single man could not stand against The Anarchist, then maybe many could. And aside from The Angel, Anthony's time in Deltarune had taught Badster that he had two more connections. One the head of a crime syndicate turned government, the other the captain of some dangerous and daring pirates.

If not The Hacker, then Badster would have to groom another. Perhaps The Gatherer or The Predator would do.

* * *

Metal groaned and creaked as pale hands shoved apart the once sliding doors of Alphys' lab, letting the light of Hotland's magma pour into the dark room.

"Anybody home?" Anarchy's eyes glowed red into the dim light of the lab, his head tilting from side to side. Behind him Aliza stood skeptically, cleaver gripped tight in hand while she looked over his shoulder. When no husks of monsters rushed out to throw their corpses at her best friend, however, she relaxed some.

"Whoa..." Anarchy's eyes gleamed with intrigue as they glossed over the scattered papers on the floor, spotting doodles of his beasts, his eyes, and even his weapon of choice littering the papers. Unhesitating he stepped further into the lab, leaning down to pick some of the messy writing from the floor. "Aliza, you seein' this?"

"Seems like someone has, uhm..." Aliza turned her head from side to side as she stepped through the laboratory, her eyes narrowing at the dust littering the floor. She was careful to step around it, not wanting it to stick to her bare feet. She turned her head then, letting her curious eyes settle on the wall of blank monitors. Or, what was left of them. Through each glass screen a spear had stabbed, shattering each of them into an indecipherable spiderweb of cracks. "... Been paying attention..?"

"Oh yeah." Anarchy turned his head to Aliza and nodded. Then, he lifted his gaze over her head, smiling just a little when he spotted the dust written message upon the wall.

BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

"Ooh." He smirked, shivering and pointing casually at the wall. "This place is startin' to give me the hebe-jeebies!"

"Y-you said it..." Aliza spoke after glancing up at the writing. She figured her fear was silly, however, considering she was best friends with the dark that this message was warning her about.

"It's like some weird cult shit, right?" Anarchy's powerful footsteps echoed deep into the blackness that loomed ahead as he fearlessly walked forward, hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Well, if there was anyone to form a cult around..." Aliza trailed off as she walked behind him, still letting her eyes scan over their surroundings with curiosity and anxiety.

"Ha! Wouldn't that be somethin'?" Anarchy grinned with amusement at the thought, a certain twisted wonder in his eyes as he inspected the dilapidated laboratory. "Anarchist cult."

"You would support a cult following?" Aliza turned her head back to Anarchy, cocking a brow.

"Oh, no." Anarchy was quick to answer, shaking his head. "They'd die just like everybody else if I bumped into 'em. Don't use my name for clout, y'know?"

"... Right." Aliza kept a confused expression, but her lips did curve upwards slightly. She was undeniably amused by the casualness with which Anarchy spoke of his genocides.

* * *

The two continued for awhile, through the fires of Hotland and deeper into the Underground. Monsters ran away from them or they ran towards, it made no difference. Worthless ants they were, scorched to ash under The Anarchist's unbiased magnifying glass.

The longer Aliza watched, the more curious of her best friend she grew. His creation, his motives, his enemies. His mother, some ex best friend that left him for dead, and a clown that can allegedly do anything. She had pieces of a much larger puzzle, one that her natural human curiosity made her want to complete.

Anarchy was amazing, after all. Incomprehensibly so. To know the motives of a god, to understand how someone so entirely unique ticked, who _wouldn't_ want those answers? But how to obtain that information, she wasn't sure. Her best friend was an honest man, if she asked him he would answer truthfully. But when he truly spoke, he spoke a different language. One that someone like Aliza would never be able to learn. So he was likely to give a truthful answer, but in a way she would not understand. Whether that was purposeful or not, she wasn't sure she'd ever know.

"Anthony?"

But, she had no other options.

"Mhm?" Anarchy glanced over his shoulder at her, taking his eyes from the run down hotel that loomed ahead. Vines grew over the sign, but it could still be made out. "MTT".

"..." Aliza's eyes drifted to the floor, narrowing thoughtfully while she decided on how exactly she would phrase her question. After a moment, she lifted her head, a twinkle of DETERMINATION in her eye. "What's this all for, Anthony?"

"Huh?" Confusion written on his face, Anarchy picked at one of his ears as he turned to face her. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Befriending me, destroying the Underground, coming here in the first place..." Aliza lifted her arms, gesturing to the world around them. "What did you stand to gain?"

"I thought I already explained that one." Expression still gently muddled, The Anarchist tilted his head to the side. "Little clown man, 'member?"

"But why do you want to catch the clown?" Aliza asked with growing confusion. "What does that get you?"

"I thought I should be crowned king before I kill The Angel." Anarchy shrugged his shoulders, hands in his pockets. His expression was no longer confused. In fact, it was hardly anything at all.

"King..?" Aliza whispered to herself, before shaking her head and refocusing. "And The Angel, whatever that is. Why will you kill that?"

"..." Those ruby orbs narrowed slowly, and Aliza thought she felt the Underground pressurize. In the corners of her eyes, shadows slithered, prowling silently. It was as if her question alone had hungered Anarchy's darkness.

"... Do you believe in karma, Aliza?" The Anarchist's lips curled up gradually, forming a soft, adoring smile. "What goes around and what comes around? Cause and effect?"

"More than that," Anarchy continued before Aliza could answer his question, spinning on his heel and beginning to walk towards the shattered glass doors of the dilapidated hotel. She raced after him. "It's the belief that what you did in a past life dictates your fate in this one."

"Yeah, I'm..." Chasing after Anarchy, Aliza slowly stepped through the shattered doorway, careful to evade the shards of glass and counting herself lucky that she made it through without any stabbing into the soles of her feet. "Familiar with the uhm, concept..."

"Welp, from what I've seen, it ain't real." Anarchy's expression grew sour then. He walked hunched, right to the doors at the other end of the lobby. These ones were boarded over, clamped shut. "My whole life people have gotten away with whatever they want."

"And that. Makes me." Anarchy didn't hesitate in bringing one knee up to his chest, planting an earth shattering kick in the boarded door and sending it blasting into the darkness it had once hid. **"Angry."**

"So it's revenge you want..?" Aliza asked after a moment of hesitation, shrinking some from Anarchy's wrathful action.

"... In a sense." The Anarchist stood back to his full height, staring with hateful eyes into the vantablack that lied ahead. His voice was low now, the warning growl of a rabid dog and the slow shake of a rattlesnake's tail.

"..." Aliza could feel it as she stared at his back. The hate and the rage and the will that made Anarchy so lethal. He radiated it, stronger than usual. It was the thought of his purpose that fueled his flames, she was sure. But, though her fearful soul quivered from this power, she found the strength to ask a loaded question.

"... And what about you?"

Anarchy didn't move. Didn't react. Just kept staring into the shadows.

"If you believe in vengeance and payback and what goes around coming back around," Aliza clenched her hand in a fist over her chest, steeling her nerves and narrowing her eyes at his back. "Then what do you think is going to happen to you?"

Things were quiet. Seconds that felt like hours trickled on by, and she felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. Had she overstepped, damaged their friendship? Would he be angry? Would he lash out and hurt her? Had this game been charades all along?

"... I'm not the cause, Aliza." Finally Anthony's voice rang out, calmer than it was before. Then, without looking back at her confused and worried expression, he continued on into the darkness.

"I'm the effect."

* * *

"Knock knock."

CRASH.

Aliza jumped some as Anarchy booted in the front door of the Empress' ill-managed home, sending it flinging back into the wall above the staircase, where it stuck, protruding halfway out of the drywall.

"... Looks like nobody's home." Anarchy smiled just a little, slowly lowering his leg and planting his foot back on the ground.

"So, this is the empress's house..?" Aliza's eyes traveled along the walls as her and Anarchy stepped onto the wooden floor. She grimaced, spotting the occasional dusty hand print on the wall or scattered across the floor. She found it odd seeing dust stain, but from what she'd gathered, the ash of Monster corpses was more sticky than it was powdery.

"Tacky, right?" Thumbs sticking out of his pockets, Anarchy glanced back at his best friend. While yes, Aliza supposed tacky could have described the fish based decor of this home, she thought "filthy" was a better word to describe the shack. It looked as though there'd been a home here once, and it'd been half torn down and half fused with this fish-based monstrosity of a house.

"Uhm, yeah... Something like that..?" Aliza halfheartedly agreed, distracted by her strange surroundings. Her eyes landed on the metal chain blocking off the staircase to the basement. Or more specifically, the note attached to it.

"STAY OUT"

"Ah geez I guess we gotta find a key." Anarchy spoke sarcastically as he walked up to the chain. He casually reached out, grabbing the steel with both hands, before effortlessly yanking it apart and snapping the metal with ease. Aliza laughed a little at his snarky actions, and that made Anthony smile.

They made their way down the staircase, which creaked and groaned feebly under their feet. Eventually, they reached a long hallway poorly lit. The padding of their footsteps echoed along the stone walls.

"So... This is, almost over, huh?" Aliza's timid voice rang once more, and Anarchy didn't bother looking back.

"Eyup!" Anarchy answered, swaying from side to side as he took long, goofy strides. "We got like, fifteen more minutes, tops."

"T-that soon?!" Aliza exclaimed, sudden anxiety striking her fearful heart. "B-But, what then?"

"..?" Anarchy looked over his shoulder, now taking regular steps. "How many times do I gotta answer this? Little clown, hypocrite Angel."

"B-but... But..." What about me, she pondered. Anarchy was about to be finished with his end of the deal. She gave him friendship, he gave her protection. He could abandon her now, leave her with the wretched life she'd been forced to live before this mess. For the first time in what felt like ages, she was terrified.

"But what?" Anarchy turned to face her now, walking backwards towards the goal ahead. "Don't tell me you're worried about gettin' dragged along for that mess, are ya?"

"N-no, I-..." Her words caught in her throat. She was mortified that she _wouldn't_ be brought along to see Anarchy complete his journey. He was going to leave, and she was going to be alone again.

"Don't worry, I've got a guy who can give ya a hand." Anarchy said with a dismissive wave, spinning on his heel and facing forward. Turning his back on her. "I figure you probably don't wanna go back home, right?"

"N-no, I don't..." Aliza found it hard to speak, and that was a feeling she'd somehow almost forgotten. She had to get her words out. She had to tell him. "I-I, I would rather-"

"Welp, with the doc's help, you can have a fresh start wherever you want!" Anarchy grinned over his shoulder back at her, and something about that smile made her stop dead in her tracks. She stood in the light now, a rare beauty in this wretched world. They'd walked to a golden hall, light shining in through the stained glass windows and washing over the pillars that lined the room.

 _... But I don't want a fresh start..._ Pain poured into Aliza's eyes as she watched Anthony smile. Even with the blood and dust that stained him, the droplets that had dried to the left side of his chin and up his cheek, something about it looked so pure and perfect to her. _... I want to be with you._

"We can drop ya off in a much nicer place than this." That happy and beautifully crooked expression remaining, Anarchy turned around to face Aliza, golden light slipping over his face. "You can have a real family, real good friends,-"

"But you're my friend..." The words tumbled out of her mouth, whatever wall was stopping them breaking down with a sudden crash. Anarchy rose his eyebrows, and that smile disappeared for a look of bewilderment.

"Y-you said... You said you'd be my best friend." Gripping the chest of her dress, Aliza felt a lump forming in her throat. She took a timid step forward, and Anarchy found himself leaning back.

"... I don't understand." Anarchy spoke calmly and clearly, despite the genuine confusion in his eyes.

"Best friends don't just, leave each other behind, right..?" Aliza's eyes trembled, tears building in them. "I... I _do_ matter to you, don't I?"

"Aliza..." Anarchy slowly reached out to comfort her, even though he had no idea what to do even if he touched her. Luckily, he didn't.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

THUNK THUNK THUNK.

Anarchy arched his back, his eye twitching in a minor display of pain. Blood poured from his new wounds, running in streams over the blue spears that embedded themselves in his back before trickling to the floor.

Aliza gasped, throwing her hands up to cover her mouth. The shock made the tears in her eyes spill over, streaming down her cheeks.

Anarchy was silent as his expression darkened and his back relaxed, and he slowly looked over his shoulder to find Empress Undyne standing at the other end of the Judgement Hall. She had another hand yanked back, preparing to whip another spear at him.

"IT'S OVER!" She threw her fourth spear with lethal accuracy, sending it blasting down the hall and piercing Anarchy's shoulder. That made him jerk forward, white hair falling over his eyes.

"You humans have taken enough from us!" Undyne pulled back both hands as Anarchy slowly pivoted, turning to face her. "Now you're going to pay!"

Anarchy remained unresponsive as his feet creaked forward, each step thundering down the hall. Onward he sauntered, not minding at all as two more spears raced to meet him, jabbing into his right shoulder and just under his left pectoral muscle.

"Once I get your freaky soul, I'll have all the power I'll need!" The mad tyrant grinned even as death wandered closer, throwing spear after spear. Each one hit its mark.

Anarchy didn't flinch, like a brick wall being struck with stones. His biceps, his shoulders, his chest, his abdomen. A pin cushion he was. But even as his blood splattered in puddles underneath him, his steps did not falter, his expression did not change.

"I'll cross the barrier!" Undyne snarled, the distance between herself and The Anarchist getting terrifyingly short. Still, though cold sweat trickled down her face, her nerve remained, and she yanked back another spear. "I'll exterminate your whole worthless race!"

One last spear fired through the air, striking its target right through the forehead. Anarchy's head snapped back, the shaft of a pike sticking straight up from between his eyes. The point had pierced his skull, sending streams of his scarlet colors trickling down his face in all directions.

"Got you now!" Another sapphire lance appeared in her grasp, Undyne wrapping both hands around it before rushing forward. She lead with the point of her weapon, looking to skewer The Anarchist once and for all.

SMASH.

It was instant, made the tyrant recoil. His arm had swung up thoughtlessly, and his crowbar had smashed right through her weapon. Suddenly she was defenseless before The Scorpion's pincers and ruthless stinger. In the blink of an eye, his other hand darted out and snatched her by the throat, yanking her right off her feet. Then, red aura exploded out around Anarchy, the force of his DETERMINATION shattering each of the pikes that skewered him.

"Ack-!" Undyne grabbed at his wrist, wincing her one good eye. She snarled, kicking her feet feebly as she stared with horror into The Anarchist's soulless left eye. Ivory locks draped over the eye, but it's murderous red shun through the dark and pierced Undyne's blackened heart. His right orb was uncovered by hair, blood running in two streams just around it as it stared, wide and unfeeling. His lips were parted slightly, but to the Empress's terror, they were gradually moving further apart, revealing a maw of sharpened fangs.

"P-put me down!" Undyne demanded, trying desperately to pull away as Anarchy slowly dragged her face closer to his hungry jaws. "Not like this! I can't-!"

 **CRUNCH.**

Anarchy's teeth ripped through her face, chomping it from her skull. She tried to scream, but with the blood filling her throat found it impossible. Gurgling and sputtering, she was instantly unrecognizable, her identity ripped away without any difficulty.

Aliza just stood there, staring without a blink as Anarchy dropped her body to the ground. Then, as she writhed and flailed, he hunched over her, and bit into her flesh again and again. He devoured as much as he could before she blew away in the same worthless silver that was the rest of Monsterkind, savagely ripping and tearing until there was nothing left.

"..." Then he stood, his shirt in tatters and his skin colored with his own crimson. With his back to her he reached up, taking a fistful of the shredded cloth that barely covered his upper body and tearing it free from himself. Then, he haphazardly tossed it aside, letting it splat to the tile floor with all the blood it was soaked in.

Aliza's eyes went wide as she saw his bare back. Under the streams of red and the DETERMINED mist that was sealing his wounds, scars detailed his flesh. They curved sharply over his muscles, a chronicle to the cause behind his effect. She thought there might be more scar than there was skin.

"A-... Anthony..." Fear and worry flickered in her eyes as she slowly stepped closer, reaching out fearfully towards him.

"... Do you get it now?" He looked through her from over his shoulder, turning his head just enough to peer at her with one unfeeling eye.

"How did... All of this..." Aliza couldn't find words, letting her hand slowly meet Anarchy's skin. Her finger tips traced along the unsolvable maze of twisted flesh, as if it would give her some insight on the horrors that birthed The Anarchist.

"... Stop looking at me like that." Anarchy turned around to face her, and she looked up at him like she didn't understand. "Like I'm some... Wounded animal. Like these scars change what I am."

Aliza was only half listening, eyes glossing over the matching scars on his abdomen and chest. None of them matched the spear wounds his red mist had healed. These were old, from a time before Anarchy transcended mankind.

 _"... She desperately needed love. But she was too horrible to ever accept it."_

 _"My last best friend called me Anny, but he left me for dead twice, sooo..?"_

"Y-your mother... Your old friend..." Eyes narrowing painfully, she lifted her head to look The Anarchist in the eye once more. "Did they hurt you..?"

"Would it matter if they did?" Anthony tilted his head curiously to the side. "If my mother beat me, if my fellow man shunned me, if the only person I ever trusted put a knife in my back, would it make everything okay?"

"I-I..." Aliza took a step back, but Anarchy took a step forward, looming over her.

"The bones I've broken, the blood I've spilled, the monsters I've crushed and the humans I've cannibalized." Curiously The Anarchist narrowed his eyes, his glare keeping Aliza's nervous orbs paralyzed on him. "Does that all just _go away_ because my childhood sucked?"

"..." Eventually she lowered her head, her lips drooping in a frown. "... No."

"Exactly." Anarchy rested a hand upon her head then, and though at first Aliza thought this action condescending, she was surprised to lift her eyes and see a glimmer of care in his eyes. "But you aren't like me. You can still go back. And you're going to."

"..." Aliza sighed quietly, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she reopened her eyes, she reached up, gently taking the powerful hand that rested on her head in both of her hands, lifting it from her skull but holding it close to her chest. Then she smiled up at him, gently and sweetly. It reflected the kind of person she was, Anarchy thought. "I understand."

"... Thank you, Anthony. For everything." Aliza added, making Anarchy's eyebrows rise slightly with surprise. "You're a good friend. Nothing you've done is going to change that."

"..." A small smile tugged at Anthony's lips, whatever was left of his kindness flickering in those ruby orbs. "I hope you're right, Aliza."

Anarchy stepped back after a moment, freed his hand from her grasp and shoving his fingers in his pockets. He looked over the hall while he called out: "Gaster? I need a favor."

Aliza furrowed her brows with some confusion, before her eyes darted with confusion and concern to the rift in air that opened, swirling with code. Multicolored blocks rapidly pieced together to form a skeleton with a cracked skull and a crescent smile.

"Your wish is my command, Anarchy." Badster kept that smile as he took a humble bow, placing one hand on his sternum and the other behind his back.

"You've been watchin', right?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side, cocking a brow at the doctor. When Badster stood back to his full height and bowed his head in affirmation, he continued. "Then you know what I want."

"A new beginning for our lovely friend here, yes?" Badster gestured to Aliza, and Anarchy nodded. "It should be easy."

"Make sure she's got a fair start in a safe world. Talk to her, help her with what she wants." Anarchy ordered sternly, and Badster gave another humble and obedient bow.

"Come, my dear." Badster smiled politely, gesturing to the portal he'd entered through like he was holding open a door. "We have much to discuss."

Aliza hesitated, but eventually nodded. She took a few steps towards the portal, but when she reached it, she paused. She cast a glance over to her best friend, who stood there with a patient smile to see her off.

"... Just one more question." She spoke, and he scoffed with some amusement.

"You really are a curious one, ain'tcha?" Anarchy leaned his head back some. "Whatcha wanna know?"

"After you kill the Angel, where are you gonna go?" Aliza tilted her head, the golden light of that hall slipping over her face gracefully.

"Hmm... Good question." Anarchy's eyebrows rose with some thought. He bobbed his head back and forth to jumble his thoughts together, looking up at the ceiling. Then, after a moment or two, he nodded, and looked back to her. "Somewhere... Quiet, I think. Somewhere real quiet."

"Hm." Aliza's lips curled up into a tiny smile, finding some strange solice in that answer. Anarchy worked hard, after all. She thought a quiet and peaceful place would be good for him. But she didn't need to tell him that. "Goodbye, Anthony."

With a small smirk, Anarchy lifted one hand, giving his best friend a two fingered wave. "Goodbye Aliza."

She disappeared with Badster into the portal, and the rift disappeared.

Anarchy waited a moment or two, before his expression faded back to an emotionless void, and he exhaled slowly. Then he reached out into thin air, and to meet his finger tips his shadow reached up from below, morphing into a familiar button.

ERASE.

Anarchy lowered his hand after pushing the button, watching shadows pulse over the world around him and make everything bleed away into ones and zeros. After everything faded away to the blackness of the void, he paused like he was waiting for something. Or someone.

... But, after a few seconds, he just groaned with disappointment, rolling his eyes and summoning a bucket of water with a rag in it from his inventory. The head of a worm formed from the void behind him, and he lazily took a seat, dragging that bucket closer.

He pulled the water soaked rag from the bucket, running it over his blood stained skin and washing the red away. Now diluted, it ran in streams over his marked flesh, dripping off of him.

"... So, do you think you understand, Chaos Heir?"

"..." Anarchy paused, that cloth remaining pressed to his neck as his lips slowly curled upwards.

"It's Anarchy." He corrected as he smirked over his shoulder. Just as he thought, there Jevil stood. He kept his hands behind his back and his feet on the ground, but he bounced his upper body excitedly from side to side. "And yeah, I do."

"Uee hee hee!" Jevil's face was yanked up in an excited grin, and he jumped back as Anarchy slowly rose to his feet, dropping that blood stained washcloth into the bucket while he turned to face the mad jester. "Correct, correct!"

"So what now?" That worm coiling behind him, Anarchy picked his crowbar back up, eyes narrowing with murderous glee.

"Now, now!" Jevil threw his hands up into the air, and suddenly that same green code was bursting to life from the emptiness, swarming around the two. "Set the stage! It's time for a show!"

Anarchy's jaw clenched with concern and confusion, ruby orbs darting through the swarming emerald numbers. But, after a few moments passed, the ones and zeros faded, revealing that the two were now standing at the center of a massive circus tent, stands curling around their arena.

"A performance like this requires a very special crowd!" Jevil hee'd and haw'd as he floated up into the air, slowly waving his hands in a gesture to the surrounding bleachers. Eyes wide in genuine surprise, Anarchy watched as hundreds to thousands of portals opened in the sky above, before hundreds to thousands of people plummeted down from them.

They all landed semi-gracefully in their own seats, and confused shouting filled the air. While Anarchy couldn't recognize anyone in the stands from the distance between him and all of them, he judged by the screams that broke out they'd recognized him.

"It's him!"

"The Anarchist!"

"How did we get here?!"

"Get me out!"

"Uee hee hee!" Jevil floated high in the sky, a microphone on a stand popping into his hand. Grinning like a madman he brought the tool to his lips, and gleefully he spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, heroes and villains, bounty hunters of all ages!" At the sound of his voice the crowds quieted, desperate ears listening for answers. "I've brought you all here because you're the important faces of this big wide multiverse!"

More shouts broke out, but Anarchy found it hard to pick out what they all meant. Things like "How did you do this?!" And "Why can't I get up?!"

"Speaking of important faces, I know you all know my lovely associate!" Jevil pointed his hand out to The Anarchist, who was sitting there without a care, casually wiping the blood from his flesh with that rag while he waited for Jevil to finish whatever he was doing. He was disinterested in crowds, public opinion hardly mattered to him. But, he did have an idea as to what point the mad clown was trying to make with this performance, and he did approve. "That's right, the piss running down your pant leg is correct, it's Anarchy himself! The biggest and baddest, baddest!"

More shouting that couldn't help but bring a smile to Anarchy's face as he rung the red from his washcloth, before dunking it back in the water and going back to wiping his upper body down. He was sitting on the head of that worm again, not feeling the least bit of stress by sharing a room with the multiverse's worst and best. They were afraid of him, he could feel. If this was really the best this world had to offer, he might just have to take pity on it.

"Now now, I know my gift has caught you off guard, but you should all be excited!" Jevil laughed and laughed as he threw his hand back into the air over his head, and in his grasp Devilsknife appeared. "After all!"

As he pointed his blade down towards Anarchy, the sky above him filled with shimmering diamonds, each pointing down at him. They reflected in the spot lights, twinkling murderously.

The Anarchist still smiled, however, letting that bucket and rag disappear while his shield appeared on his arm and he snatched his crowbar up in his free hand. Without a care he climbed to his feet, tilting his head to the left until his neck popped, then tilting his head to the right until the same sound came.

 ***Prove a point.**

 **"You get to witness a revolution! Uee hee hee!"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	35. Chapter 35: Dear Doppelganger

**Howdy! I know I'm a few days late, but the holidays are a busy time and I've been kind of dealing with a lot of things lately. In light of that, I'd like to make an announcement.**

 **For the month of January, I will be taking a brief break from writing. The next DoubleTale update, chapter 36, will be posted February first. I'm sure you can all understand (You guys are always incredibly understanding and it warms my heart-) that I've been running myself pretty thin lately and really just need some time to relax. Don't worry, I'll still be brainstorming plenty for this story, and the chapter will be ready on the 1st of February.**

 **Now, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I really hope you're kind enough to leave your thoughts below because I'm very excited to see what you all think of this chapter!**

 **Thanks go to Zack Frost, Wingah, CrystalGamer82, WhoWritesThisCrap, saltythebear, Genowar, Jack54311, Skele, and Linki.**

 **(Rip in peace my mans 10burgers who didn't get the chance to review. I remember them saying they wanted to be in every beginning author's note though, so I'll mention them anyway to keep their dream alive. :) )**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"... Ow."

I leaned back instinctively, feeling cold sweat start to leak from my forehead. Character was less hesitant, however, stomping right towards me.

"So what was that about intricate plans, tough guy?" Their lips curled upwards, murder shining in those ruby peepers. "You got a fail safe for us to thwart or should we just start breaking your bones now?"

"Uhh..." I gulped, my eyes narrowing while my hands slowly clenched to fists. "Didn't really have time to plan more than one step ahead."

"Right. Figured." They didn't look the least bit worried. In fact, they were at ease, strolling towards me leisurely while my legs struggled to move. "See, Angel, we know just as much about you as you do."

"Flattering." I responded bitterly, teeth grinding as I lowered into a fighting stance. My calculating emerald orbs watched their every movement, waiting for an opening that was less than predictable. My brain ran a mile a minute, rapidly formulating plans and ideas that always ended with "No, _fuck_ , that won't work".

"We know you're an 'intricate plan' kinda guy." Smirking with all the confidence in the world to fuel their ego, Character tilted their head to the side, resting their hands in their pockets. "We know you like to have the first move."

I snarled suddenly, my wings beating and launching me forward. There had only been about eight feet between me n' them, the lack of distance hopefully stealing their reaction time. I cocked back my left fist, which red smoke began to steam from just as I whipped my knuckles forward, crimson flames igniting around my left eye.

SLAP.

It was a deafening noise, but pathetic all the same. The force behind my punch, all that power it packed, added up to just a meaty slap when my fist connected with the palm of Character's hand.

"Erg-!" I growled, eyes wincing when their fingers wrapped shut around my fist, locking me into their grasp with iron force. I was staring Character in the face now, up close and personal. I watched their smile curl even further, and that inspired both wrath and anxiety in my DETERMINED soul.

"And we know you like to punch."

 **Chapter 35: Dear Doppelganger**

 _"I'm like... Really strong n'stuff."_

* * *

 _Hello World_ by _SharaX_ began playing.

On that note, Character yanked me forward by the fist, smashing their knee into my stomach and making me double over, my eyes snapping open wide. They kept a vice grip on my hand, using it to yank me back up straight before tossing me down chin first into their knee, static pain running through my teeth to my brain as they released me, and I stumbled back a step or two, eyes clenching shut tight.

With my eyes shut, I didn't see Character jump up, spin, and slam a kick into my abdomen. As the force knocked me off my feet and the wind out of my lungs, my stunned orbs snapped back open while I launched back through the air.

Clenching my teeth, I flipped in air, landing on all fours and skidding back over the tar of the road I had been sailing over. As I slipped backwards, my fingertips traced ink along the pavement, which immediately spiraled up and raced to skewer Character. The unholy fusion didn't seem the least bit worried however, extending one arm to the wave of black death that approached and letting an arch of three Beat Blasters appear over their head.

White fire exploded free with the blaring of the blasters, and I was quick to wave my wings and launch myself into the sky. My ink-based assault was wiped away by Character's blast in an instant, and the beam exploded past where I'd been standing previously.

Character bent at the knees to jump into the sky after me, when an orange arrow appeared on the earth beneath them, pointing behind them. A sudden blast of force sent the fusion firing backwards, their feet skidding over the earth while their expression tightened with irritation.

Swiftly they reached out, ink lashing from their fingertips and clawing into the earth. This quickly slowed them to a stop, but just as they managed to plant their feet they were ducking under a sweeping kick at their head.

Chara spun through the kick, landing with bent knees face to face with Character. Their face contorted in a snarl, and they lunged forward, slashing diagonally up at Character, who was quick to lean back out of the way. As they did, they bent their elbow and clenched their fist tight to their side before jabbing with bone crushing force out at Chara, who swiftly tilted their head to the side, the force of the punch sailing over their shoulder sending their hair whipping back. They didn't seem to notice however, entirely focused on the task at hand. Chara were quick to stab over Character's still extended arm and at their head, but the fusion was faster, throwing their extended arm up and slapping Chara's stab off it's mark while simultaneously knocking them off their balance.

A Tough Glove appeared on Character's free hand, and they jabbed directly into Chara's abdomen with enough force to send them hunching over and the air exploding out of their lungs.

Their knees threatening to buckle, Chara remained doubled over, slowly stumbling back while they wrapped their arms around their screaming abdomen. Character wasted none of the time Chara gave them, stamping their foot and making the earth split open, an eraser blasting from under them at an angle and smashing into Chara. The force crashed through them, sending them flinging up into the air.

"Chara!" I shouted with surprise, my wings flapping and launching me into their arch. They crashed into me back first, and I winced, pinion's flexing and catching wind, slowing us to a stop while I wrapped my arms around their diaphragm to keep them from falling to the ground below.

"You okay?" I asked, looking at them over their shoulder. Growling, they used the back of their fist to wipe away the blood that trickled from the corner of their mouth down their chin.

"I'm fine!" Chara snarled defensively, struggling out of my grasp and dropping down to the ground below.

They hit the ground running, immediately sprinting back towards Character and yanking back their blade. As they stabbed forward however, Character deflected their knife with their own sharpened steel, dinging Chara's stab off base and knocking their arm to the right. They spun through, however, dropping down and sweeping their leg at Character's ankles, only for the fusion to jump high into the air.

Chara growled with frustration as Character left their range, before swiftly pushing from their hands when they felt a rumble in the ground beneath them. Just as they sprung from where they'd been, pens erupted, jabbing into the empty air.

Character's eyes narrowed with some aggravation at their failed attack, before a "Ping!" resounded, and they felt gravity yank them by the now blue soul towards the concrete below. Teeth grinding they landed on their feet, but had to bend and crouch while they fought back against the invisible power shoving them downward.

Character's head turned so ominously slowly that Future thought their neck was gonna creak. Those crimson eyes settled on him, but he refused to hesitate, whipping his arm to the left and throwing Character off their feet, sending them blasting through the front window of the hardly standing storefront at their side. The already cracked glass shattered to razor sharp shards, and Character disappeared into the shadows of the abandoned building.

Quickly Future's bracer changed from a blue glow to a gold one, and as he reached out towards the building, the sky began to fill with glowing yellow orbs. Soon, the area was illuminated in a blond hue, and JUST bolts clouded the sky around the husk of a building Character had been whipped into.

Future clenched his fist then, and the blasts rained from above. They exploded through the stone, sent the structure crumbling down around Character with Future's vicious barrage. Soon, the gold hue left the sky, and the king watched with anxious eyes for any movement in the now smoking pile of ruble.

As the dust settled, and the pebbles that tumbled from the downed walls they once stood proud with trickled to a stop, our anxieties were confirmed. Streams of red light beamed from within at first, before a flash of blinding power blasted out from the depths of the destruction. The wave of force sent gale winds washing over the empty city and the heavy piles of shattered stone flinging high into the sky.

Mayhem raining in shattered concrete and woodwork around them, Character sauntered from an unrecognizably leveled plot of land scorched grey. Fists were clenched tight at their sides, and Future thought lasers might fire from their eyes from the intensity of the glare that landed on him.

"Get out of my kingdom!" Future demanded sternly and in spite of the sweat that was beading down his forehead. He threw his open palm forward, a golden glow swirling to life in his grasp.

There was another blast of wind, and suddenly Future was recoiling in what felt like slow motion. His haggard emerald orbs were wide, spotting Character standing under his extended arm, their left hand wrapped tight around his wrist and their right shoulder directly under his elbow.

"You aren't getting it." Character spoke, before yanking his arm down on their shoulder and snapping it the wrong way. The crack echoed painfully out over the ghost town, followed immediately by Future's agonized howling.

The king dropped to his knees, grinding his teeth as he clenched his shattered arm close to himself. His body was trembling, hot and cold flashing through him while pain threatened to overload his nervous system. His arm had been put at something close to a ninety degree angle. A ninety degree Angel he would have joked, if he weren't fighting for his own consciousness. It'd been at least a decade since he'd felt physical pain like this, and he was sure now his tolerance was about half of what it had been once upon a time.

"From now on, wherever we go?" Future lifted his head to look Character in the eye as they spoke. His vision was less than reliable, black spots appearing in his line of sight like burns in the film of an old movie. The wretched fusion grinned like this was hilarious, extending the point of their blade to the tip of Future's nose. "We're the only royalty that matters."

A loud bang, followed by a ding. A red bolt had launched at Character from the side, and they'd deflected it on the edge of their blade without effort, sending the bolt twanging off somewhere into the distance.

Character swiftly lifted their forearm, catching a diving kick from F Chara on it and not budging an inch. The fusion and the disgraced heir locked eyes for a moment, before F Chara back flipped off from Character's arm, landing crouched and lunging forward with a vicious stab.

Character ducked and dodged around stabs, slashes, and everything in between with ease that made F Chara clench their jaw with frustration. Then, they stamped their foot, and ink fired up in mindless lashes, whipping and swiping at F Chara, who was quick to jump back out of the ink's range. When they landed right in the path of an eraser and felt it slam like a freight train into the entire right side of their body however, they figured they may have dived head first into a trap.

The disgraced heir was sent sailing through the air, before crashing into a brick wall. They blasted straight through, hitting the ground on the other end. They flipped and skid on their side, knocking through several tables in the diner before finally smacking against the back end of the eating area. There they lay, in a crumpled mess, surrounded by shattered plates, cups and tables.

"Pathetic." Character narrowed their eyes with lethal cold as they outstretched one hand, Beat Blasters blinking into existence in the sky behind them and taking aim on the structure F Chara had been knocked halfway through. "You future versions are like cardboard."

STAB.

It was a quick jolt, made Character arch their back and widen their eyes. Irritably they creaked their neck to look over their shoulder, a red stream trickling from the corner of their mouth down their chin.

Future winced one eye shut, down on one knee behind Character. In his one working hand he grasped his spear tight, the point of said spear having went through Character's back and was now protruding from their chest.

"If you're gonna hit the king, you better kill the king..." Future managed to speak, chest heaving with his panting. Character just smiled furiously, baring their teeth.

"I couldn't agree MORE!" They punctuated their sentence by spinning, smashing the back of their hand upside Future's head and sending him firing through the air, only to be caught by the pile of ruble he crashed into.

Character wasted no time grabbing the bit of spear handle that stuck through their front and yanking the whole thing through themself, sending blood pouring to the pavement below. Then, as red misted from what would be a mortal wound had they been mortal, they spun on their heel, whipping the javelin overhand towards Future.

The king sat hunched forward, eyes barely remaining open, before his exhausted ears caught the rising volume of that sudden whistling. But just as Future lifted his head, his own weapon jabbed directly through the shoulder of his good arm, pinning him to the rubled wall he leaned against and making him cry out in pain. He threw his head back, gritting his teeth and clenching his eyes shut tight while he growled and snarled in his suffering.

With one of their enemies immobilized, Character was quick to turn, throwing up both arms in an X and catching one ballet shoe covered kick from Chara. Instinctively they lifted their eyes to the reformed killer bent on killing them, so that's probably why they didn't see me duck under their guarding arms until I smashed their chin with red misting knuckles.

They recoiled from the impact as Chara flipped back off from their arms, which split from their X and left Character defenseless. They caught the next blow on the bridge of their nose, Chara flipping back through air and bashing their knee into Character's face.

Stumbling back and scrunching their expression while blood trickled from their nostril, Character snarled furiously. They couldn't see through the stinging tears in their eyes, leaving them open once more. Chara landed at my side, and we both cocked back one fist, sending two punches side by side into Character's now resealed chest with enough force to make wind gust out around us, before they were sent launching back, skidding on their heels.

Relentlessly I extended an open palm while Chara drew their gun, and just as Character gathered their wits they were met with a barrage of red bullets and the wave of heat from a Beat Blaster's speaker. The energy's collision with the fusion caused an uproar of dust and smoke, engulfing Character for the moment.

"Chara, we don't have much time!" I urgently turned my head to them, extending an open palm. "Gimme your soul!"

"What?!" Chara recoiled, putting a protective hand on their chest and grabbing a fistful of their shirt.

"They're gonna eat us alive separately!" I explained quickly, shooting nervous glances towards the dust periodically. "We have to form Character if we wanna win!"

Chara remained silent, semi-wide rubies darting from my open hand, to me, to the clearing smoke. I could see the anxiety bubbling in their eyes, and I understood. Being Character had made us cruel. Vicious. Cold. When I thought of Character, I saw Error's terrified face on the inside of my eyelids. I heard his bones crunch in my ears.

But for Chara, the fusion was something more. It had been the goal of their evil plan, half a year ago. An unfeeling devastation machine that culminated both of our strength's into one. Forming Character for them might seem like going back on everything they worked for, but we didn't have time to consider. In my eyes at least, it seemed we either become a better fusion or die to the one before us. I quickly learned we didn't see eye to eye on this however when Chara smacked my extended hand aside, making me recoil.

"I can beat them on my own!" Chara snarled defensively, pointing a finger in my face.

"What-?!" I was halfway through reeling from that ludicrous statement, when several familiar bangs hit my eardrums, and my eyes snapped open wide with realization. Without hesitation I planted a hand on Chara's chest, shoving them back while my wings curled defensively around me. "MOVE!"

Bolts of led pierced the ink of my wings, two getting trapped in the black while the third broke through, stabbing into my shoulder and making me stumble back from the force of the impact.

Growling and wincing with pain I reached up, wrapping my knuckles around the graphite that protruded from my flesh while my wings uncurled from the protective shield they'd formed around me. The ink in them shifted, letting the bolts my liquid feathers had trapped clatter to the ground while I snapped the end from the black arrow that buried itself in my shoulder.

Just as I tossed the graphite chunk to my left, my eyes narrowed at the massive pencil eraser that launched from the dust that had enveloped Character, heading for me straight on. My wings were quick flap, launching me up and out of the freight train's path.

Floating in air, I was quick to spin around, spotting the fleet of paper airplanes racing towards me and reaching out one arm. Hundreds of ink tendrils lashed out from my sleeve, slashing and weaving through the airplanes, sending shredded paper raining down to the wasted avenue below. With this distraction, however, I didn't spot the black whip that fired up from Character's grasp.

"Agh-!" I choked as the ink lash wrapped around my throat, just before it yanked me out of the air and sent me rocketing back towards Character.

Chara snarled, diving and slashing from the side at the fusion, who easily stepped back out of the way, never losing their grip on the ink they were dragging me through the sky with. Chara didn't seem to notice the tendril however, spinning on their heel and stabbing at Character once more, only for them to effortlessly and mockingly hop to the side to evade.

Furiously Chara growled as they spun to face Character once more. But, as they prepared to lunge, Character's ink whip sent me smashing right into them, the both of us flinging and flipping across the unforgiving concrete before eventually rolling to a stop.

"Eugh..." I groaned, rubbing the top of my head while I managed to peek an eye open. When I looked into the hand I'd been been caressing my cranium with, I found my palm had been given a half-assed red paint job. _Great._

"Get... Up..!" Chara snarled as they shoved up from under my arm, climbing to one knee and snatching their blade from the pavement. I didn't know if they were talking to me or themself.

"Chara..!" I reached out to them as they pushed to their feet, but they weren't listening. Character gave them a smile, and furiously they rushed right back into the heat of battle. "Damn it!"

Chara ran low to the ground, before jumping into the air, spinning and sending one shoe blade at Character's head from their ballet shoe. Character lifted their forearm however, blocking Chara's shin on it and stopping the blade inches from the side of their head.

Chara frothed, summoning that revolver in hand and pointing it's barrel at Character's face. The fusion didn't flinch however, simply letting two ink tendrils slash up from behind their back and swing in an X at Chara's throat, looking to decapitate them. Instinctively Chara threw their head back, the ink slicing just over their head.

They landed on their hands, quickly straightening their core and shifting on their palms, swinging their legs and slashing rapidly at Character with those ballet shoes. The fusion jumped back, and Chara performed a hand spring, launching right after them and flipping upright in air. They threw both hands over their shoulder, and as they plummeted down to meet Character, a frying pan appeared in their grasp.

A bang resounded when that pan smacked Character upside the head, making them turn their cheek and stumble back a step. Chara landed in front of them, and that frying pan switched out for a real knife, which they then plunged towards Character's heart. Character shifted their footing however, snatching Chara by the wrist and spinning around, throwing them full force across the street.

Chara smashed spine first into what remained of a cinderblock wall, their head whiplashing back while the wind shot up out of their lungs, spilling over their chin along with some saliva. They dropped down onto their hands and knees then, coughing and sputtering between gasps for breath.

Character took a moment to admire their handiwork, and I was quick to take advantage, diving from behind and wrapping my arms around them, trapping them in my grasp and locking both of their forelimbs at their sides. I wrapped my left hand around my right wrist and my right hand around my left wrist, pulling them tight to my chest while my wings cocked high into the air.

"Buckle up, assholes." Was the only response I gave Character when they glared over their shoulder at me before my wings slammed downward, throwing Character and I high into the sky at a rapidly increasing velocity. They struggled in my grip as we ascended, but I grit my teeth, holding on with all my might as we suddenly curved back down.

My wings flapped violently, and with gravity's help we were racing even faster back towards the earth below. This wasn't like with Chara, I had to spike Character right on their head. And that meant holding on for as long as possible. But, while I was calculating just how quickly I could pull up against this kind of force, Character leaned their head forward and threw it back, smashing their skull into my face.

I recoiled, pupils dilating while a shock wave vibrated the ridges of my brain. This left me defenseless to the second cranium strike to my face, this one splitting my bottom lip. I was too busy getting my nose broken by the third headbutt to notice my grip on them was loosening, and by the forth I had let them go, both my arms and my wings flailing limply in the racing winds.

Arms now free, Character reached over their shoulders and grabbed me by mine before spinning forward vertically twice to gather momentum. On the third spin through they released me, sending my unresponsive body sailing through the sky while they flipped to be heading towards the ground foot first.

I was flinging through the air on a downward arch before the first story of a three story building caught me. I crashed through it's walls and disappeared into its depths like a human cannon ball, the force of my impact sending tremors through the infrastructure and making the support beams that my body hadn't already rag-dolled through crack and crumble. The building collapsed within itself, crashing down onto me and raining stone over my less than responsive body.

The music faded out.

* * *

Chara sat on their knees, staring wide-eyed at the crumbling establishment that their friend had disappeared into. Their arms were limp at their sides, knife laying in their open palm while hopelessness swam in their ruby orbs.

 _No..._ Black tears built in their eyes, one spilling over in a stream down their cheek. _It happened again..._

A hundred and one times they'd seen this outcome. On the surface before they dropped into the mountain. When they got Asriel killed. When Frisk first turned on the Underground. When Hacker tricked Cter. They were trembling, lowering their head and staring into their wavering hands with shrunken pupils.

 _It's the same..! I'm the same!_ Thoughts growing even louder, Chara's vision began to blur. Whether it was from the black fluid trickling down their face or the panic chasing their heart, they weren't sure. _I haven't changed! Not at all!_

 _Idiot! Idiot!_ They bit their lower lip to stifle a sob, curling their fingers into tight fists. Their hair fell around their face as they hung their head low. _Cter's gotten hurt because of you! He could be dead because of you! Again!_

 _You can't protect anyone!_ Chara shouted at themself, slamming their clenched fist into the side of their leg. Repeatedly. _You couldn't do something worthwhile to save your life or anyone else's!_

 _Worthless! Sniveling! Screw up!_

"... This is just sad." Character commented as they watched Chara's mental breakdown with empty eyes. Their footsteps echoed over the pavement, crashing through Chara's ears over and over. "What kind of good guy sits there crying in the middle of a fight?"

"Come on tough guy, I thought you were a big time hero now!" Character mocked, lips curling upwards while they threw their arms out to the sides. "That's funny, 'cause to us you look a lot more like a sniveling little girl!"

Chara ground their teeth, slowly lifting their tear stained face to glare daggers at the malevolent fusion that loomed over them. "S-shut up..."

"Or _what_?!" Character leaned forward, shaking their head as that shit eating grin grew on their cheeks. "You gonna hulk up? Grow some wings? Rip our arms off?"

Chara sniffled, wrapping shaky fingers around their blade as the enemy berated them. They wanted to say something back, but nothing witty manifested in their brain. They were defenseless to these brutal words.

"Oh _wait_ , that's not _you_! That's the _other_ guy who does that!" Character gestured haphazardly to the wreck of ruble they'd buried Cter in, before pointing furiously to Chara. " _You're_ just the second fiddle! The sidekick that he has to rescue!"

"Stop it..!" Chara demanded, indignation burning in their soul. But there they remained, black tears streaming down their face while insecurity paralyzed them.

"But he's outta the picture now." Dead eyes wide, Character lowered their arms back to their side. Their smile faded away, leaving an expression mercilessly deadpan. "And you don't have the strength to stop this. Just look around."

Skeptically Chara turned their head from side to side, letting their semi-blurry vision scout the destroyed landscape.

"Broken bodies."

F Chara laid flat on their face, eyes clenched shut tight. Strands of hair dropped over their face, and their hand twitched some, not able to so much as clench against the tile floor.

"Crumpled corpses."

Future leaned his head back on the ruble behind him, breathing shallow and face pale. Blood trickled down his arm from the spear head buried in his shoulder, and his broken arm still bent awkwardly at his side.

"You can't save anyone. The only thing you've ever been good at is killing." Character tilted their head to the side, scarlet orbs squinting accusingly.

"THEN I'LL KILL YOU!" Chara screamed furiously, suddenly finding the rage to shove themself to their feet. They stabbed at Character's head, but the fusion stepped to the side, cocking their fist back and smashing it into Chara's side.

Chara's eyes widened, pupils shrinking with agony as they felt several cracks reverberate painfully through their abdomen. They stumbled to the side, gasping sharply and grabbing their ribs in some attempt to dull the suffering.

"Ooh, were those your ribs?" Character made a mocking 'ouch' face, shaking their head. "That sounded like your ribs!"

"Shut! Up!" Wincing, Chara jumped into the air and spun, swinging a hail mary kick at the side of Character's head.

Effortlessly Character reached up, grabbing Chara's ankle in a vice grip and stopping their kick dead. Then, before Chara even had time to realize what was what, they spun on their heel, yanked Chara high over their head, and swung them like a hammer down at the unforgiving concrete. They smashed to the pavement face first with enough force to bounce back up, streams of blood flinging from their now busted lip and snapped nose.

Character didn't let go of Chara's ankle, spinning back around and whipping them with even more force at the earth, this time back first. They released Chara from their grip, let them slam into the ground with enough power to send cracks blasting out in a spiderweb under the two bodies. Once more the force made them ragdoll back upwards, where the vicious fusion cocked back their fist, sending a downward punch smashing into Chara's cheek and carrying them on Character's knuckles right back to the floor.

They smashed down with unbelievable force, hardened tar shattering up around the two figures as they were planted brutally by Character's punch. A shock wave blasted out, gusts of wind swirling around the impact for a moment. Then, the gusts faded, and the road shards clattered pathetically around the two.

Chara laid flat on their back, head limp at their side and their limbs sprawled out lifelessly around them. Their eyes were only half open, lusterless rubies staring a thousand yards. From the corner of their mouth and both of their nostrils blood streamed down their face, and their knife laid in their open palm.

"... That's it?" Character asked after a pause. Shockingly, Chara was unresponsive. This made the fusion frown impatiently. "C'mon, no more empty threats? No more demands for us to be quiet?"

All Chara managed to do was blink, and even that was at a labored pace. This made Character roll their eyes impatiently, before lifting their foot and planting it on Chara's broken ribs.

"Come on!" The fusion smiled wickedly as they started applying pressure, glad to see a little bit of life start to bleed into Chara's face, their eyes starting to widen. "Get more expressive!"

Chara's eyes twitched with agony, and their jaw clenched momentarily, before snapping open with the sound of their scream. They howled at the top of their lungs as their aching ribs were put under even more crushing force, body beginning to writhe pathetically. They threw their head from side to side, but couldn't find the strength to lift their arms and try to push Character's foot off of them. They were defenseless now, entirely at Character's mercy. Or lack thereof.

"That's it! Louder!" With a berserk grin Character listened to Chara's screams, enjoying the occasional snap or pop they felt under their shoe. "Sing for us!"

"HEY!"

Character's brows furrowed as a shout reached over Chara's tortured howls, and they let up the pressure to get them to quiet down while they searched for the voice's source. Chara's screams became sharp gasps and silent whimpers, and Character's eyes locked on to their new target.

Chest lifting up and down with each furious breath, I stood before the mound of ruble I'd crawled from. Red steamed from from between my bared teeth, several streams of blood trickling from my hairline over my face and giving me a crimson mask. My clothes were in tatters, one of my pant legs missing from the knee down. My hoodie was missing, along with the right sleeve, shoulder and half the chest of my T shirt. Wherever skin was exposed one would find cuts that ranged from scrapes to gashes, each one smoking DETERMINATION and coating me in scarlet mist.

"Get the fuck off my Chara." I ordered first, pointing to them before pointing to the ground at my feet. "Then get the fuck over here so I can rip your arms off and beat you to death with them."

"..." Character's lips slowly curled into an amused, open mouth smile. Silently they stepped off Chara's abdomen, leaving them to lay there and quietly suck air. I judged from the pulsating soul on their chest and the red steam trickling out of their open mouth that their DETERMINATION was doing what it could to keep them stable. That'd have to be enough for now.

"You've got spunk, Angel." Character arrogantly made their way across the concrete, hands clenching and unclenching from fists. "A lot more than most've our kind."

"Yeah you're mom told me the same thing." I responded dryly as I threw my arm out to the side, ink spiraling out from under my torn shirt and wrapping up my arm before pulling together in my palm, morphing into my trademark spear.

"Wow." Character's eyes darted to the side, smile growing to grin. Their murderous crimson eyes landed back on me after a second or two. "You wanna take a sec to think about that one?"

"No." I answered with the same lack of mirth, glaring through Character as computer keys began manifesting in the air behind me.

"Have it your way!" Character snarled joyously, the ground shattering under them as they lunged forward, yanking their blade back to their side. They slashed upwards when one of the keys gravitating around me flung at them, their knife carving through it and sending the plastic clunking to the ground.

Ink slipped from the bottoms of my shoes, and as Character reached me I skated back out of their range. Their vicious stab punctured nothing but air, and immediately after they lifted their head, squinting at the swarm of keys now circling them. Fs and Ls, mostly.

As the plastic suddenly raced towards the fusion, they quickly leaned forward and planted an open palm on the earth. In the next instant a hundred and one spires of ink blasted out around Character, forming a defensive pin cushion and skewering each of the keys that had threatened to encase them. Then the threatening structure swirled like some beautiful ebony ichor, throwing the destroyed keys aside like worthless garbage and gradually splashing back to the earth under Character's feet.

"Now, where did he-?" Character inspected the area to see just where I might've disappeared to during my distraction, before turning around at the last second to see my ink spear racing towards the back of their head. They ducked back, letting the spear sail over their forehead. Just after it passed, they spotted me plummeting from above feet first. They also spotted the cleats of ink that had formed beneath my shoes, and scowled irritably.

The fusion reached up just before I smashed into them, grabbing me by both of my ankles and spinning. They smashed me face first into the ink covered concrete, but didn't pause there, continuing to swing and dragging me across the unforgiving pavement before whipping me by the ankles across the street and towards the front wall of an apartment complex, which I crashed right through, disappearing into dry wall dust and shadows.

"... Yeah?" Character leaned forward some after a moment or two, raising their brows curiously and tilting their head some at the unresponsive smoke. "What was that about de-arming us?"

The only response they received was the quick light of my Beat Blasters appearing in the darkness and grey mist I'd been shit whipped into, to which they swiftly threw their arms up in an X to defend against. With a boom, searing energy poured over them, scorching the skin on their arms and making them grit their teeth furiously.

"Cute!" They shouted with anger that made me think they didn't think my laser beam was all that cute and that they were being sarcastic. Then Character threw their arms out to the sides, and a shock wave of force exploded out around them, disrupting the beam of my blaster and dispersing the white energy in a discharge across the earth.

I launched out from the storefront I'd been put through, cocking back one fist and firing a punch at Character's cheek. The fusion leaned back with stunning speed, my eyes widening as I sailed right over, and they shifted their weight onto their hands. As I was flinging over them, they pulled their knees to their chest and shotgunned an organ shaking kick into my abdomen, making my pupils shrink with agony before my jaws snapped open and blood spewed past my lips. The force of their kick launched me up into the air, and Character sprung off their hands, back flipping and landing right back on their feet.

I sailed up through the sky, flipping and flailing as my wings unfolded from my shoulders in an attempt to catch against the whipping winds. After a rough and unconventional ascension, I managed to catch myself in the air. My wide eyes were blood shot as they darted to and fro, getting a quick scan of my surroundings before my ears picked up on the sound of concrete shattering open beneath me.

I looked down, before my wings flapped to the side and I performed a swift barrel roll, narrowly evading a massive pillar of an eraser that rocketed past. Snarling, I turned my furious gaze down to Character, who had one hand in their pocket and the other raised to me. A circle of Beat Blasters formed a halo between us, igniting their cannons with searing light and focusing in on me.

I folded my wings at my back and let gravity yank me out of the sky in a nose dive as those blasters fired their scorching rays through the air at me. I passed by the converging beams just in time, feeling their heat singe my hair as I shot through the halo 'o doom and cocked back my left fist. Barbarically ink spiked and stabbed out from between my fingers, forming viciously jagged knuckles.

Character barely had time to widen their eyes as I fired through the blinding lights, and I crashed fist first into their cheek with enough force to send the both of us exploding through the concrete. I surfed on Character's face with my fist through pavement, then rubble, until they slammed head first into a thick brick wall.

Chest heaving with adrenaline, I glared down at the mangled face my knuckles and my ink were buried in. Character's face was shredded by the spikes that detailed my fist, their right cheek ripped open and gushing blood and their left cheek skinned across the harsh ground. Red droplets had splattered up my cheek, but they blended right in with the crimson mask of my own gore.

Character didn't speak, but I knew they were alive and beyond pissed when their one visible eye creaked up to meet mine, flaring with DETERMINED light. Scarlet steamed from their mangled face, but that only pushed me to lift my right fist, ink spiking out from between those fingers as well.

"You hurt me!" I snarled furiously, crashing my right fist into their face just as I yanked my left away, sending red splattering like spilled paint across the earth at their side. "You hurt my friend!"

"You killed your own friends! You had a second chance and you wasted it!" I ripped my right fist away with intended roughness, ripping through more skin and splattering more scarlet ichor over the shattered earth we laid upon. "I gave you a third chance and you wasted it!"

"All you ever do is destroy!" I brought my hands together over my head, emotions towards myself and my counter part running higher and higher while the ink on my fists melded together into one gruesome spike. It's point aimed downward, and my vision went red when I saw Character's grinded down jaws still crack a smile. "No matter how much you're given you throw it away! No matter who tries to love you, you get them killed!"

Anthony, Granny, Lexi and Xander. My parents. In the past, I'd let them all down. In the present, an equally probable counterpart of mine had led the same path and turned his back on the Underground. And in the future, my choices and the cowardice that influenced them could lead to the deaths of the family I tried to choose.

But not me. Not ever again. I would not waste this new life. I would escape the confines of my past and cut off the head of my darkness, and I would do it NOW-!

STAB.

My emerald eyes shot open wide, and as blood overflowed from between my teeth, I turned my gaze down to the cruel steel Character had plunged into my abdomen.

"You should run your mouth less." Character's voice was distorted due to their shredded mouth, and when whatever torn apart facial muscles still managed to pull their bloodied and broken open lips into a smile, my eye twitched.

In the next instant, ink exploded up Character's arm and expanded around their blade, forming one blunt and massive cleaver on the fusion's arm and ripping from my belly button to halfway up my sternum. The point of the ink slicer jabbed viciously out of my back, and my crimson colors painted the devastation that surrounded us.

I tried to scream from the pain, but the fountain of viscera that shot out of my mouth from my many ruptured organs cut me off. Like a ripped open candy wrapper Character casually tossed my carcass aside, but unlike a candy wrapper their throw sent me flipping and skidding across a couple dozen yards. Eventually my rapidly chilling flesh slapped into the only standing wall of some destroyed corner store, and I flopped onto my side, curling my arms around my abdomen like I was trying to keep it from splitting apart.

"You know why most Angels stay Hacker instead of trying to be Cter?" Character's voice rang through my daze, and as desperate DETERMINATION smoked from my shredded core I managed to lift my head and watch the titan approach me. "You know _why_ you're one in a million?"

Body trembling and dying, I forced myself onto my numb knees. My DETERMINATION had to be enough. This wound had to seal. I had to keep fighting.

*Live to win.

"Because 999,999 of us understand that actions have consequences." Face quickly reforming in red smoke, only Character's ruby eyes were visible through the mist that enveloped their head. Their footsteps echoed closer, and they stared right through me. "You lectured Hacker on the concept before, but you really don't know what it means, do you?"

"What are you... Talking about..?" I managed to speak, slouching forward and keeping my arms tight around my steaming and bleeding abdomen. The hole hadn't started sealing yet, but the pain and the bleeding was dulling, little by little. I figured that probably meant whatever important things were ripped open were starting to close. That was a good start, but I needed more.

"Come on Angel, you really think you can just escape what you did?" Character tilted their head to the side, their shadow starting to creep over my beaten and broken body as they approached. "Angel the perpetual lying asshole gets a magic do over and that lets him have everything he's ever wanted?"

I remained bewildered, cold sweat running in streams with the blood on my face while my confused eyes laid upon impending doom. I could hardly talk, hardly move. I still felt like I was dying, I just felt like the process was getting slower. I had to dig deeper, had to find more of my will.

"Well, I guess it's true, you did get all those things." Character smiled, I could see it through the clearing red smog. When they knelt down in front of me, and I saw a soulless expression on my own face while I fought desperately against Death itself, I found myself pondering.

*You wanna know if this is how I felt when _you_ killed _me_?

"But you weren't the only one."

"W-... What..?" I choked, managing to glare through my pained wincing and speak over my dying breaths.

"Angels can't escape our past because it followed us here, 'Cter'." Character's lips curled up as they watched both my eyes start to widen. I was catching on, and somehow even more despair was grasping my possibly punctured heart.

"Y-you're... Lying..." I had to grind my teeth to keep them from chattering, shrunken pupils trembling in my widened orbs. "H-he can't be... They can't be..!"

Character reached out without any hesitation, slapping a hand onto my shoulder and tilting their head to the side. They gave me a shit eating grin, and they spoke.

"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."

For me, the world went dark. The light in my eyes clicked off. I sat there, on my knees and slouched forward. My jaw hung open, my arms laid limp at my sides. I lowered my head as Character chuckled, climbing to their feet.

"And you better believe all three of 'em have had their eye on you." Character took a few steps back before they extended their open palm, and several Beat Blasters appeared levitating over their head. "Not that it matters now."

I didn't move, didn't say a word. Red stopped smoking out of my injury. I wasn't sure if my blood was still pumping, if my lungs were still taking in air. I couldn't see anything but the pale skinned boy in front of me, staring up at me with concern in his beautifully innocent ruby eyes.

 _"Angel?"_

I didn't move. The lights in my eyes didn't turn back on.

 _"Angel..? C'mon, aren't you excited?"_

Snow white locks falling around his face, the boy smiled perfectly up at me. He reached out with his small, unsoiled hands, and with them he gently grasped my own limp fingers.

 _"We're gonna get to see each other again!"_

"With you out of the way, we'll be the top Hacker _and_ the top Chara." Character's lifeless eyes laid upon me, light beginning to shine in the barrels of their blasters. "With strength like this, we could probably even stand against Anarchy!"

My limp fingers twitched with life.

"So try not to worry about the future, Angel." Character's lips curled into a wicked smile, the light shining in those Beat Blasters starting to illuminate the world around us. "We'll make sure you don't live to see it."

 _"... Angel..? You're not really gonna let them get in the way of our Reunion, are you..?"_

Anny frowned sadly up at me, the misery he often hid in those scarlet orbs shining through. Slowly he lifted my hand, gently pressing the back of my palm against his little chest.

I could feel his heartbeat.

 _"You've gotta know how much I miss you, right?"_

 **Bump bump.**

Character recoiled when a brilliant red flare outshined their blasters, eyes snapping open wide before they winced and threw an arm up to shield the aforementioned orbs. They could feel searing heat on their skin and panic in their heart as boiling hot winds whipped and lashed across their flesh, and they were quick to jump back to get a better look at the violent display of power before them.

Crimson light flared over the rubble, turned everything to it's scarlet shade. Vermilion flames swirled around me, voraciously licking out and scorching the surrounding terrain. I remained knelt there, motionless as those same red fires crackled over my wounds. The gaping hole in my upper body rapidly closed, and slowly I lifted my head.

Character froze, shrunken pupils staring at me from afar. Hair shadowing my no longer so KIND orbs, only the furious red shine of my left eye was visible. A merciless stare, fixated on the fusion. Behind me, they watched a rebar spike that protruded from a shattered wall begin to bend and change its color to a bright orange as it melted under the heat of my DETERMINATION.

"Damn it damn it damn it!" Character shouted furiously, once more throwing that open palm out towards me. Their Beat Blasters swiftly recharged, before launching their beams across the trashed landscape towards my flaming DT pillar. The blasts were quick to be redirected however by the tearing winds of my aura, sending them sailing off into different directions and crashing through whatever buildings or ruble that crossed their path.

"It's no good! Our blasts can't get through!" In a panic Character stated the obvious, taking other step back and grimacing at the sight of me getting one foot under myself, gradually pushing myself off my knees. "What is this?! He was half dead five seconds ago!"

 _"You should run your mouth less."_

A chill ran through Character's blood as they remembered their own words. Their jaw clenched, eyes darting from me to my growing aura. Their combined brains ran a mile a minute, searching desperately for a solution.

"He's getting stronger..! He's changing! Transforming higher!" The fusion deduced, before flinching as my wings suddenly unfolded from my shoulders, a shock wave blasting out over the city with their mighty flex. "We have to stop him before he can reach whatever he's approaching!"

"But how do we do that?!" Character bickered with themself, hands clenching to fists at their sides. They could see ink slithering under my shredded shirt, often slipping by one of the tears as it seemed to be gathering on my back. This only made them force their mind to race faster, desperately searching for an answer to this problem rapidly growing before them.

 _"I can't lose the only person I have... Not again..."_

Realization struck Character like a bolt of lightning, and the panic disappeared from their face. Their expression was blank for a second or two, but then a smile began to form. Rapidly their lips curled, smile to smirk to grin. Then, they spun on their heel and threw one arm out, pointing away from me and back towards the street we'd been fighting on previously.

"WE JUST HAVE TO PUT HIM ON THE SPOT!"

* * *

Bitter ruby orbs stared up into an unforgiving overcast sky. Chara laid there, flat on their back, aching in all kinds of ways. The initial unbearable-ness of their wounds had subsided, and whether it was their DETERMINATION healing that had caused the dulling of their pain or shock, they weren't sure. Maybe it was depression. That'd been making them feel pretty numb lately.

Chara had tried to face Character, and they'd lost. They'd been stubborn and screwed everything up. Cter had to save them and face Character alone. God only knew how that was going.

On that note, Chara squinted their distant eyes, focusing in on the sky above. Were the clouds clearing? Was that light the sun shining down? A bitter sweet sight that'd be. Nice warm rays shining down on their broken down body and washing over the craters caused by their failures.

... But those lights were not the sun.

Those lights were five rings, looming in the sky above. The Angel's Halos of Death, Chara recognized. A Beat Dome. The same attack that Cter had nearly executed them with six months ago, now it seemed Character was going to finish the job.

It was a special kind of nihilism, what they felt in this moment. Beaten and broken they were, death raining down from the sky above. Chara had failed. They were a failure. And now everyone was gonna die. The silver lining was that they were either first, or they'd been too disorientated to see anyone else get killed before them.

The searing white light was approaching rapidly. Chara could feel the heat washing over them, and the blaring light was over taking their vision. In that instant, they were not laying on cold concrete. They were in a bed, tucked under the covers, surrounded by three terrified goat monsters as they stared vacantly up at the ceiling of their childhood room.

"Chara!"

The illusion shattered as a familiar voice rang out, and through the blinding light a black shadow flew over. A shield descended upon them, wrapping it's arms around their shattered body and clutching them close to it's chest in a desperate attempt to protect them from the fiery death above.

"You have to hold on!"

Chara's eyes were stating to close as they felt that wicked heat blast down upon them and their shield. And, though they thought they might have been seeing double due to their delirium, they thought they saw four wings curl protectively around themself and their Angel.

Flash.

* * *

 _Eugh..._

Slowly my eyes began to creak open, confusion and pain coursing through me. I found smoldering rock surrounding me, my body face down in a crater bigger than any crater I'd ever seen.

It was hard to remember what happened. Most of what I recalled were senses. I was stunned, conflicted, afraid, and dying... Then there was a surge. I was rising to my feet. I felt, warm. Powerful and confident. I could see Character. That's all I could see. I knew I had to be stronger for what was coming, so I became stronger.

... Until I realized they weren't looking at me. Their next attack wasn't for me. I moved as fast my wings would carry, and then there was a flash. Now I was laying on the ground, clutching an unresponsive Chara to my chest and trying to gather my wits.

It was scary, seeing them unmoving. I didn't know if I'd succeeded in protecting them, I didn't know if they were alive. We both had scorched skin, broken bones, spilt blood. But I was awake, and they weren't.

Eyes narrowing to hide my trembling pupils, I scanned over my own body. Once more red flames were bursting to life across my skin, sealing my wounds, preparing me to complete this fight.

My haunted emeralds glossed down to Chara then. Unlike me, they were lifeless. I wasn't sure if their chest was lifting, if their heart was beating. They weren't like me, the fire of their soul was burning low. They needed more. They needed power. They needed what I had.

"... Not me." I spoke finally, sitting on my knees and pulling Chara's motionless form into my lap. My jaw clenched, my hands balling into fists against the back of their shirt. "Not me..!"

 _"No matter who tries to love you, you get them killed!"_

"I don't need it!" I shouted as I felt heat rise to my eyes, quickly shaking my head. The fires on my skin started to shift, rising and twisting some in the heating air around me. "Give it to them!"

The flames of my soul spiraled back down, connecting to Chara and spreading over their beaten and broken body. I winced, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead as the fires on my flesh began to die out. That didn't matter to me, though. The only focus I had was on the crimson smoke that was starting to steam off of the limp body that I clutched close.

"Come on, Chara! I believe in you!" I snarled supportively, ignoring how my chest was starting to burn for deeper and more frequent breaths. "You said you can beat them on your own, didn't you?! Well I believe you!"

"Of course you can stop them, Chara! You're so much stronger than I am!" I confessed, tears rolling over from my pained and exhausted eyes. "You've always been stronger than me! You just have to prove it to everyone else!"

"So get up, Chara!" I shouted out, clenching my eyes shut tight and leaning over them. Water streamed down my bloodied and burnt face, dripping down onto their's. "You have to stop them! You have to win!"

I hugged them tight, letting my DETERMINATION flare desperately around the two of us in one final, desperate attempt.

"GET UP AND SAVE US, CHARA!"

* * *

Dirt.

Chara was laying in the dirt, staring up at a gorgeous, star-studded sky. The beauty was tainted, however, by the black smoke that spiraled up to block out all light in the dark.

Chara didn't turn their head, just let their eyes gloss from side to side. Around them, trees reached up, a precious representation of life and all the beauty it held. But the calm, respectful quiet of the forest was screamed and cried over.

Fire flashed in the distance, Death walking the path that laid at Chara's side. Gradually, they sat up, and their eyes narrowed painfully. Further down the path, they spotted a little brown haired child. She wore brown rags, less a dress and more a sack for potatoes re-purposed. It was torn in a few places, possibly from being old and worn and possibly from the struggles of her escape.

She was barefoot, terror in her tearful red eyes as she sprinted on scraped and muddy feet down the path. Cowardly she fled from the flames and the horrors they burned around. Chara turned their head, watching the girl sprint past them on the path as though she'd never even seen them laying there at all.

"... That's the earliest thing we remember." A familiar voice rang out, and venom entered Chara's eyes as they looked ahead, finding their future counterpart standing ahead of them. As F Chara stared longingly in the path that poor girl had fled, those brutal flames flickered behind them. "Running away."

"... What do _you_ want?" Chara leaned back on their hands, narrowing hateful orbs at F Chara, who looked down to them with guilt in their eyes.

They stepped forward, leaned down some, and extended a hand to help Chara to their feet.

 **"... I just think we need to talk."**

* * *

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 **XWolf26, out**


	36. Chapter 36: Love Without Excuses

**Thanks go to 10burgers, Zack Frost, Wingah, Okami Endless, Jack54311, TimeBlade, Genowar, NotSkele, Monkey D. Chimera, WhoWritesThisCrap, Linki, Sonic245, NBoss01, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, DIKR1229, Gun of Revenge, and EpicSlayerGuy99.**

 **No worries,** **Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, I know people are busy. I really appreciate you still taking the time to read and review when you can, though!**

 **Speaking of, I'm really glad I got so much feedback last chapter! It really inspired me to be sure I got back on time to give you guys this chapter! I hope it was worth the wait, and I hope you guys like it enough to leave a review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

A slap resounded as Chara knocked their older counter part's hand aside, surprising F Chara and making them blink eyes now widened.

" _Talk_? You want to _talk_?" Chara questioned furiously, climbing to their feet on their own. "What, you want to run your mouth to me too now?"

"I-" Before F Chara could get the words out, their younger self was throwing their hands into the air, pacing back and forth.

"I get it, I screwed up! Now god knows how many more people are gonna die because I'm a failure!" Panic was clear in Chara's eyes as they grabbed at their auburn hair like they were looking for an answer atop their head.

" _You're_ a failure? How do you think _I_ feel?" F Chara planted a hand on their chest, widening their eyes some. "I got hit _once_ in the first five minutes of the fight and I've been out cold since!"

"What do you care?" Chara suddenly stopped their pacing to shoot F Chara a death glare, panic replaced by hatred. "Why are you even helping us? Don't you just wanna kill everybody Character wants to kill anyway?"

"..." F Chara went quiet after that, their eyes glossing to the side. They contemplated their younger self's harsh words for a few long moments, before they finally spoke. "... I, know I messed up. I just wanted to do something good one last time."

Then, they paused, and spoke quietly.

"... I owe Angel that much..."

"Yeah well a lotta good you did us." Chara responded with cruelty, not feeling a speck of sympathy for their future self.

"Okay." F Chara's tone carried restrained fury as they inhaled sharply, shooting Chara a warning glance.

"Oh I'm sorry, do you not like that?" Hatefully Chara squinted their eyes at the disgraced heir, leaning in some with their mockingly curious expression. "Well maybe I wouldn't have to treat you like trash if you didn't act like it!"

"I tried to help you!" F Chara snapped suddenly, stepping forward and looming over their younger self. Chara was far from intimidated, however, their razor sharp glare shooting up to meet that of their doppelganger. This resulted in an intense beam struggle between the furious lightning of their two wrathful expressions.

"Help me?!" Chara repeated, like they really couldn't believe F Chara had said something that stupid. They jabbed a finger into their counterpart's chest accusingly, jaw clenching tightly before they returned to shouting. "Everything was fine before I heard about _you_!"

"Sure, I was struggling some! Sure, I had my worries! But I was making progress damn it!" Chara yanked back their hand to plant it on their own chest, gesturing to themself. "But then I hear about _you_ and it's like all my worst fears have been realized!"

"You expect _me_ to play nice with _you_?!" Chara questioned furiously, stomping forward and making the disgraced heir take a step back. "You must not get it!"

" _You're_ everything that's wrong with me! _You're_ another one of my billion mistakes!" Once again Chara was jabbing with their index finger, keeping F Chara on the back foot while they shoved into their space. "I hate you! I hate looking at you! I hate hearing you talk! I hate that your chicken shit Cter didn't have the balls to kill you!"

SLAP.

Burning red hand print now on their left cheek, Chara's eyes were wide and their voice was silent. In an instant their head had been turned to the right, and their expression had went from livid to stunned. F Chara looked a little bewildered themself, semi-wide orbs darting between their raised hand and their unresponsive doppelganger. After a moment however, their hand clenched, and their expression tightened with the rage that had prompted them to smack Chara.

"... My mistakes are mine, _not_ Angel's." F Chara finally spoke, quietly and through grinding teeth. "Your mistakes are yours. _Not. Mine_."

"... I know that." Chara spoke with rage chilled to hate after another few seconds that dragged on like hours. Gradually, they drew in a deep breath to calm themself. They shut their eyes momentarily, turning their head back to face the future that they rejected. Exhaling slowly, they let their ruby orbs open back to the face they hated seeing, in the mirror or in person. "I'm just... Afraid of ending up like you."

"... I'm afraid of that too." F Chara's expression relaxed, becoming more somber than angry. Slowly their vermilion eyes glanced back to that old, beaten path. They frowned.

"... That's why we're here."

 **Chapter 36: Love Without Excuses**

 _"That's just a front I put up."_

* * *

Chara's eyes remained low, fixated on the shambling pattern of brown and red footsteps painted upon the dirt path that they traveled. Blood and mud had coated the small feet that had been carrying that damned child down the beaten road. That had hurt, Chara remembered. Their whole body had hurt.

"... I ran until the sun came up." Chara recalled somberly, gradually lifting their head to look ahead. The trail curved up and down in a few small hills, the last of which was too tall to see over from their current vantage point. "No shoes, no food, no idea where I was going."

F Chara listened quietly, knowing better than to interrupt with their own memory of this day. It was better that Chara explained anyway, they knew things must've been much more clear to their younger self than they were for themself.

"Had it been any other day, had I collapsed a little earlier or a little later, I would have been crow food." Hands resting in their pockets, Chara stared ahead with narrowed eyes. Over the horizon the sun was creeping, light beginning to pierce the black sky and blot out the stars. "... But it wasn't any other day. And I didn't fall any other place."

As the two reached the peak of the highest hill, they could hear a child crying out in pain, along with several thumps and thuds. When the two Charas peered down the slope, they found the same helpless little girl tumbling down through the dirt to the bottom of the incline.

She laid there, auburn hair falling around her blood and dirt stained face. Her exhausted red eyes stared blankly, no light reflecting in them. Jaw hanging open with shallow breathes, it was clear she had ran as far as her legs would carry her. Now her body had given out, and she hung on the fringes of consciousness.

"Hm..? Hello?"

Chara's expression twitched painfully when a voice cut through the tree line. They crossed their arms to keep a stoic appearance, tilting their head and watching a woman make her way into the open. She had shoulder length hair, spun in bouncy orange curls, and she looked to the desperate child with eyes that were blue with INTEGRITY.

"Oh! A little boy?"

At this point Chara blushed with clear embarrassment, turning their head to the side to look away from the scene.

"When she saw my... Less than feminine features, she mistook me for something else. The dirt and grime covering me probably didn't help my case, either." Chara explained, even though their future self could tell the words burned their throat a little coming up. They understood that, they'd felt the same way for many years. "I suppose it's a good thing she didn't see the truth at the beginning. She might not have taken me that day if she knew I wasn't a boy."

The two Charas watched as the blue eyed woman gathered their unconscious past self into her arms, slinging the basket she'd been gathering miscellaneous berries and other fruits of the forest in over her shoulder. She held the child close to her in a way that was protective and motherly, and she made her way further down the path with a little more urgency in her step.

Future and present Chara made their way after her, when the world around them started to shift. Curiously Chara observed as shapes twisted and colors swirled around the two, furrowing their eyebrows with a little confusion. Soon the world was reshaped however, and Chara relaxed as their suspicions were confirmed.

Now standing in the door way of a bedroom with a rough wood floor, Chara watched the same sapphire eyed woman stare with worry at their younger self. The little girl was fast asleep, shoulder length hair falling haphazardly around her face. There were bandages places along her arms wherever there was a cut or scrape, similar bandages wrapping her feet up to the ankle.

She laid in a bed at the corner of the room, the window at her bedside shining with the midday light. At her side the orange haired woman sat in a wooden chair, sorrow in her eyes as she watched little Chara sleep.

"... She must've noticed at some point during cleaning me up that I was a girl. It probably broke her heart." Chara narrowed their eyes painfully, watching that motherly figure carefully brush the hair out of their younger self's face. "In the world she'd been born into and grown up in, being born female was like a life prison sentence."

"Mount Ebbot was different when we were a kid." F Chara finally spoke up, frowning deeply. "Surrounded by tribes at war. And as history goes, the most cruel were winning."

"Whatever clan I'd been born into must've been burnt to the ground. It's been so long, I don't remember any of the names." Eyes drifting to the floor, Chara slowly shook their head. "But I ran smack dab into the evil that'd killed my biological family without even knowing it."

"She had to have hated the hopeless way she'd grown up and lived, so to see that future ahead of a child probably crushed her." Empathy burned in F Chara's eyes as they stared at the lowered head of their first surrogate mother. "Once we woke up, and she learned we had no where else to go, she must've been truly horrified."

"... Her tribe was a patriarchy, and a violent one." At their sides Chara's fists clenched, a thousand and one horrors coming to mind. "Boys were raised to be skilled fighters and heartless killers. Girls were raised to look pretty, do chores, and have babies. Anything more or less than that was likely to earn them a split lip or a black eye."

"To make matters worse, she wasn't just any old woman with any old husband. She was the Chieftain's bride." F Chara's eyes glossed to the window and the trees they saw through it. Smoke was still rising from the forest. "And the Chieftain needed a son. He had no use for a daughter."

"The son of a bitch had a problem, though. I'd call it karma." Chara recrossed their arms, venom entering their tone and hate appearing in their eyes. "He was sterile. He didn't have any way to get a son."

"With that all in mind, Mother devised a plan to keep her bastard husband happy and give us a future worth living for." F Chara watched as their child self slowly opened their eyes, and the first mother they could remember forced a kind smile. "With a haircut and some boyish clothes, it'd be hard for anyone to tell the difference."

The room began shifting again, colors peeling away to a void of swirling memories. What they remembered of the next few days flew by in streams of recollection. Their mother putting a bowl over their head and cutting their hair to an unfortunate boy's haircut, the clothes they were given to blend in with the boys their age, the sugar coated explanation their mother had given them.

"This is the only way I can keep you safe, Chara." Is what she'd told them. "I promise, just until you're old enough to take over as Chieftain. Then you can change _everything_..."

Chara's scarlet orbs squinted painfully. That'd been a reoccurring theme in their life, people putting the entire weight of the future on their shoulders. They always let them down. They always cracked under the pressure.

Their eyes glossed down to their open palm, feeling a wound more fresh aching in their soul.

That was how they'd ended up here in the first place.

Eventually, the world reformed around the two, and they found themselves standing in the main room of the first home they could remember. At the center of the room their mother stood, swiftly and anxiously patting any dust from her clothes and adjusting her hair. Then, the wood of the front door creaked, and she stiffened, straightening her back and holding her hands together over her lap.

Coldly Chara narrowed their eyes. They'd never forget the man who lumbered through the doorway that day. He was looming, a giant of a man that to the child peeking in from the kitchen looked to be about fifteen feet tall. Now Chara could see more clearly that he was about 6'5 and bulky with muscles. He wore a bear pelt, its head atop his own like some savage hood. His chest was bare, exposing tan skin scarred over in several places. For pants he wore another animal's skin, perhaps deer.

In one hand he hoisted a massive chunk of wood over his shoulder. It was a cruel club, a primitive tool with sharpened stones embedded in the thick wood. Red ran in dried streams over the brown wood and black rock.

"Welcome home!" Chara's Mother greeted with feigned cheer, hoping he wouldn't notice the cold sweat on her brow. "I didn't doubt you'd make it back for a second!"

"Of course you didn't." His gruff voice was flat, inexpressive of anything he might have been feeling. If he'd been feeling anything at all. He let his weapon slide from his shoulder, its heavy top side crashing loudly to the wooden floor. He uncoiled his massive fingers from around his brutish tool, then he walked methodically forward.

As he stepped past their Mother, he reached up, grabbing the pelt from atop his head and holding it out for her to take without even making eye contact. She took his hood like the two had made this transaction a thousand times before, carefully folding it in her arms before scurrying over to the club on the floor near the doorway.

He turned, sitting calmly in the only furniture in the room. It was a single chair, padded with different animal furs and facing the window. From there he stared absently at the outside world, all while his wife struggled to lift his weapon and stow it in its proper place. She was careful not to walk between him and that square hole in the wall. It was a mistake that had angered him before.

"Dinner?" Another simple sentence devoid of care passed his lips, his eyes not leaving the hills while he spoke.

"Rabbit stew!" She responded with a feigned perkiness just after she set his killer tool on the rack of primitive weapons in the far corner of the room, draping his bear hood over the handle of his club.

"... Good." Just one word, but a positive response. Chara's Mother knew those were rare, and hearing one meant her husband was in a good mood. Perfect, she thought.

"..." Drawing in a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and straightened her back. Then, once again holding her hands together at her lap, she elegantly and respectfully walked her way over to his side. She stared at him, but he did not return her gaze. Gulping down her anxieties, she spoke to get his attention.

"Uhm... Husband..?"

"..?" Silently his eyes glossed over to meet hers, a dull curiosity appearing on his face. This was unlike his wife, to speak without being spoken to. This unusualness interested him however, so he responded. "Yes?"

"Several days ago, while you were away, I..." She hesitated, her heart thudding loudly in her ears. This was the beginning. For the next decade of her life she'd have to lie, pass her adopted daughter off as an adopted son to her husband. If she failed, both of their lives would be... No, this was no time to worry about that. This was the only way she could give Chara a future. This was the only way she could do something meaningful. This was the only way _she_ could have a future. "... I found a young boy. Orphaned with nowhere to return to and no one to miss him."

"Hm?" His confusion grew with this, one bushy eyebrow rising at her as he turned his head to look at his wife directly. She knew she had his attention now. "A boy?"

"He was dying on the side of the road." She spoke with desperate sadness, frowning and lowering her head, only partially to evade his eyes. "It's a woman's job to nurture, so I felt obligated to help him..."

"Okay..." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, watching her every move carefully. "What are trying to tell me, woman?"

"W-well, uhm..." Sweat beading faster, her eyes went a little wide, giving her a better view of the floor she was staring at. She gulped however, forcing more words out of her throat. "When I got a look at the boy, and I heard he was alone, I-I, I thought that, maybe he... Well, maybe, I thought, uhm..."

"You think he has what it takes to be my son?" The Chieftain filled in the blank that his wife was too afraid to, and a lethal chill entered his eyes.

She gulped, and her face went pale when she peered into those deadly eyes. She'd seen them before, knew what they meant. If she failed here, if she made a single misstep, the back of his hand would bring her punishment.

"W-with your training!" She forced herself out of her paralysis, quickly nodding her head. "I believe he'd make a wonderful chieftain some day!"

"..." Things were silent between the two for moments that dragged on like decades, neither of them blinking as they considered their next moves with painful precision. Until finally...

"Alright..." The Chieftain grunted as he pushed himself up from his wooden throne, shutting his eyes momentarily. Then, he reopened them, glancing to his wife with some doubt. "Show me the boy."

"Y-yes! Right away!" She nodded quickly, some relief coming as her idea was not instantly shot down. Then she leaned to the side and looked past her husband, peering into the kitchen. "Chara, please come out!"

Timidly that bowl of auburn hair poked out from around the corner, skeptical ruby eyes scanning the room. This made Chara's Mother smile just a little, but the Chieftain frowned.

"Over here, boy." He waved one massive hand, expecting eyes crashing down on Chara. "I don't have all day."

Chara nodded quickly, scurrying out of her hiding spot and into the open. She wore a baggy shirt and pants made of the same deer skin that adorned the chief, keeping her eyes low and not letting out a single peep. His presence was massive and powerful. It strangled her, made her blood chill.

"... This is the boy?" The Chieftain narrowed his eyes down at the poor girl, who was trying her best not to tremble. Frown deepening, he reached out suddenly, snatching one of Chara's thin arms and yanking it up, startling her and making her stumble from his sudden pull. "He's hardly a boy at all! Look at how small and feeble he is!"

Something about his sudden tugging, his insulting words and his threatening presence made Chara plant her feet and reclaim her balance. Finally lifting her head, she glared up at him with vermilion eyes, yanking her arm out of his surprised grasp and taking a step back away from him.

"Chara!" Her Mother shouted out to scold her defiance, those sapphire orbs going wide with terror. She knew how the Chieftain reacted to disobedience. The memories made her face ache.

"... Hm." The Chieftain stared down into Chara's unwavering eyes for another few seconds, before his lips curled upwards. When he dropped to one knee before the girl and she had a closer look, she realized something she hadn't noticed before.

His eyes. They were that same deep red, that same DETERMINED crimson that she saw in her own reflection.

"Your soul, boy. What color is it?" Suspiciously the chief tilted his head, narrowing his scarlet eyes.

"... R-red." Chara finally spoke, attempting to steel her nerves before this mountain of a man. Her answer made a certain interest appear in his eyes, and as he shoved himself back to his feet, he smiled down at her.

"I've never met someone with a soul like mine, you know." Smirking some, the Chieftain lifted one hand. In his grasp a dark red soul appeared, levitating just over his calloused palm and glowing dimly. Chara recognized that her own soul was a lighter shade than his, and that it gave off light more brightly. "Our kind is rare, and destined for greatness."

"Woman!" He called suddenly, making Chara's Mother jump as she turned her eyes back to him.

"Y-yes?!" She responded fearfully, standing at attention with a straightened back and hands over her lap. He lifted one hand over his head, and on instinct she flinched, clenched her eyes shut tight and prepared herself for some kind of brutal impact. So she was admittedly surprised when his hand landed on her shoulder, giving it an appreciative squeeze.

"You've done a good job finding this boy." There was a rare joy and excitement in his eyes, and this kind of praise was not something she'd heard in quite awhile. "I trust you'll mother him well."

"Y-yes!" She nodded swiftly and obediently, giving a smile that was only half forced.

"And you." He turned his head, and his eyes locked with Chara's once more. Somewhat wickedly he smiled.

"I'll start teaching you tomorrow."

"..." As the world once more melted away to swirling colors and shapes, Chara crossed their arms with disdain. "'Teaching you' actually meant 'beating you within an inch of your life' back then, believe it or not."

"I don't just believe it, I remember it." F Chara agreed with a bitter nod. "We've taken a lot of hits over the years, but I always remember his hurting the worst."

"Over the next few years I learned a lot of things." Empty eyes squinting and lips curving down in a frown, Chara turned their head and quietly watched the memories that flashed by. "How to throw a punch, how to take one. How to use every weapon I could fit in my tiny hands."

"The chief figured we weren't gonna be big and bulky like him, so we didn't learn how to fight with brute strength like he did." F Chara reminisced, watching a memory of The Chieftain handing them a short dagger with a sharpened stone blade fling by. "Instead our training focused on speed, precision, and skill."

"The younger you are, the easier it is to learn. The art of murder got soaked right up by my six year old sponge brain." Chara stared straight ahead with lightless eyes, expression devoid of any emotion at all. "By the time I was twelve I scanned people when I looked at them. Potential threats, exposed vitals. Points of strength and points of weakness."

"I'd figured out how I would kill a stranger before they got within ten feet of me." Chara's eyes narrowed painfully, their hands clenching into tight fists at their sides. "And I _hated_ it."

"Six years and that old brute never caught on to our lie. Though I guess it was easy to keep from him when the only time we saw him was for training." F Chara watched as the world started to reform around the two, frowning lightly. "But we were getting tired of hiding the truth."

The two could see now that they were standing in a fenced off section of a field. At the far end targets were lined up. Some with arrows embedded in them, some with knives, a few with throwing axes. Each target had at least one projectile jammed in its bullseye.

"Agh!" A twelve year old Chara cried out as she crashed to the ground, skidding through the dirt on her side before coming to a stop with her back against the fence.

"Get up, boy." The Chieftain commanded, looming over his prodigy with a cold frown and crossed arms. "We aren't done until one of us can't move."

Chara growled as she pushed herself up on one elbow, suddenly whipping one arm out and sending a black rock dagger racing through the air at her self proclaimed father. Swiftly he tilted his head to the side, and as the blade raced by, a slice appeared on his cheek. A thin stream of blood overflowed from the cut, running down to his jawline as his lips curled slowly. He was smiling. That made Chara's skin crawl.

Jumping to her feet, Chara let out a primal roar as she dove at The Chieftain, spinning in air and swinging one foot at his head, only for him to uncross his arms and lift one forearm into the path of their strike, stopping it dead in its tracks. Quickly he shifted his arm, wrapping his fingers around Chara's ankle and yanking her back towards himself. Then, he let go of her leg, curled his fingers into a fist and sent a punch crashing into her abdomen.

Her eyes snapped open wide, the wind blasting up out of her lungs along with droplets of saliva before she was sent flinging back through the air. Chara's body smashed into the fence, her head leaning back over one of the horizontal wooden blocks that spanned the space between posts.

"... Eugh..." She groaned quietly, blinking those distant ruby orbs and letting them refocus. She was watching upside down across the field, where she could see several figures running about. Painfully and longingly Chara's eyes narrowed as she watched the other girls her age live carelessly, tagging one another and giggle at nothing but the joy their youth brought them.

"Come on boy, get up." Chara was snapped back to reality when the Chieftain grabbed her by the shirt, yanking her to her shaky legs. "You're too young to be getting distracted by the girls."

"One of them will make you a fine wife someday." He put a hand on Chara's shoulder, catching her attention and making her look back away from the far end of the field. He offered her the handle of the same blade she'd whipped at his head moments ago. "But you have to be a man first."

"... Right." Chara held her head low, narrowing her eyes hatefully at the blade she was offered. Stuffing her disappointment into a bottle for later, she took the blade from her father. "Sorry."

"... I wanted to be myself for so long that I forgot who I was." Hair shadowed Chara's eyes as the world faded away around them and their future self. "When I was younger I thought I just wanted to be allowed to be a girl again. But after I saw the horrible things they had to endure, I was terrified of that reality as well."

"..." F Chara turned their head, watching a short memory of their childhood self sitting in a chair while their mother clipped their hair once again float by. "Mother's rambling and scolding certainly didn't help."

"You're very lucky to look the way you do, Chara." Chara's mother commented like she had so many times before. She envied Chara, that much had become apparent over the years. "So long as you keep your hair short, no one can tell the difference..."

"But mom, I don't like looking like this..." The young Chara barely managed to whisper, narrowing her ruby eyes at the floor as her mother striped her of her extra hair, making sure not to leave a single feminine quality. "Why can't I dress like the other-?"

"You are NOT LIKE the others!" Chara flinched when her Mother snapped, clenching her eyes shut tight. She figured Mother's wrath would be the receipt for her plea, but she couldn't help it. Her emotions were bottled so tightly, sometimes a whispered plea slipped out. "You are so incredibly lucky, don't you get it?! Why do you want to waste that?!"

"..." Chara opened her bitter ruby orbs, fixating her vision on the floor that was dusted with locks of reddish-brown. She didn't have an answer, at least not one her Mother could possibly understand. So she remained silent, enduring like she had endured for quite some time.

"You're so special, Chara..." Her Mother spoke softer then, smoothing Chara's shortened hair and hugging the side of her head to her chest. It seemed she was whispering more to herself than to her daughter. "All you have to do is tell one little white lie, and you can have a future so much brighter than all the other girls..."

"... After awhile, neither gender seemed too appealing." Chara turned their head to the side opposite to their future counterpart, watching a different memory pass by.

From behind the wall separating the kitchen and the living room little Chara crouched, silently eavesdropping on the conversation taking place while her mother cooked.

"... Chara barely managed to limp to his room after training today." She heard her mother work up the courage to say, slowly and skeptically peeking around the corner to watch the conversation unfold.

"He'll live." Was the only response the Chieftain gave, lifeless eyes laying on his wife's back as she prepared his meal.

"Aren't you afraid you're being too hard on him?" She timidly glanced over her shoulder at her husband, who lazily cocked a brow, tilting his head to the side.

"My father was hard on me, and his father before him." He frowned with some irritation, leaning his chin on his fist. "That's how a man like me is made."

"Well maybe I don't want him to be a man like _you_..." The words slipped of the Mother's mouth before she had the chance to stop them. Chara's eyes went wide when she heard that punishable sentence, and terror pierced her heart when, silently and emotionlessly, the Chieftain leisurely pushed himself away from the table and out of his chair.

Chara wanted to jump out, intervene. But her feet were frozen to the floor. She wanted to scream out, demand that he stop in his tracks. But her throat had sealed shut. She wanted to shut her eyes on this atrocity, but they were wired open.

Calmly the Chieftain grabbed his wife by the elbow, making her flinch. She knew she'd said something she shouldn't have, and she knew the repercussions of those words. So she held her head low, and when he spun her around and cocked back an open hand, she didn't dare look him in the eye. His massive, calloused hand crashed across her cheek, knocking her back off her feet and sending her smashing to the floor.

Chara would never forget his face as he knelt over his wife, snatched her by the shirt and yanked back another open hand. He showed no remorse and no fury, as if his actions meant nothing to him. It was as if to him, beating his spouse was just some chore he had to carry out every now and again.

So he swung, forehand and backhand, over and over. With each strike a slap resounded, and with each slap Chara flinched but never blinked. She was screaming in her own head, desperately trying to avert her eyes. But she couldn't. So instead she stood there, out in the open, eyes wide and jaw hanging low. Gradually tears built in those scarlet orbs, and with the thunderclap of another smack, those tears overflowed down Chara's cheeks.

"..." Silently the Chieftain pushed himself to his feet, leaving his wife in a crumpled heap on the floor and stepping over her without a care. He gave four simple words, and they were far from an apology or an explanation. "I'm not hungry anymore."

He walked right by Chara without batting an eye, just lifting one of those massive hands and resting it on her head for a moment.

"Quit your whimpering, boy. It's a mans job to keep his wife in line." He spoke gruffly and without hesitation, staring ahead with jaded, DETERMINED eyes. "Someday I'm sure you'll have a mouthy woman who needs to be set straight every now and again."

That made Chara's pupils shrink with fright. She was disgusted by that idea as she watched her mother slowly pick herself up off the floor, hair falling in limp strands over her battered face. She kept staring, eyes trembling in their sockets as her father removed his hand from her head and continued onward. It wasn't until she heard the door slam behind him that she dropped to her knees and reached up, grabbing her face, which no longer felt her own.

But when her Mother lifted her head, and one desperate INTEGRITY colored eye landed on Chara, she felt bile race up her throat. She wrapped her hands around her mouth and lurched forward, resting her forehead on the wood of the floor and attempting to push her lunch back down.

Inevitably, she failed, and puke spewed from between her fingers.

"..." Chara's hair shadowed their eyes as they let the memory pass. They were still sickened to the point of nauseousness by the scene, but this time they managed to keep their food down.

"... The thought of being a girl made me fear for my safety, freedom, self worth and self respect." Chara looked forward as the world started to reform around them, hands clenched into tight fists at their sides. "But the thought of being a boy made me fear that I'd grow cruel. Harsh, mean, unforgiving and savage."

"... _Cowardly_." Chara uttered that word with spite and hate on their tongue, their jaw clenching with the pain of an old scab picked open. "Father was powerful, but to use his strength the way that he did made him a coward and a bastard."

"... He taught us that red was an evil color." F Chara finally spoke up as the world finished reforming, the two now standing next to a stream in the village center. Trees reached towards the sky here and there, and the grass surrounding the stream was littered with golden petaled flowers. "And that DETERMINATION is a four letter word."

The two watched as their youngest self carefully waded through the flowers, each footfall evading any of the yellow plants while they approached the stream. Eventually, they reached the clear body of water and crouched at its side, glancing over and into their reflection.

Chara frowned as they looked over their own face. The eyes that resembled their father's, the haircut their mother had forced upon them. It disturbed them, that so little of their appearance seemed to be theirs at all.

With a bitter taste in their mouth they sat back, let their hands rest in the ever so slightly swaying grass while their eyes landed on the light blue sky. These moments were rare, when they didn't have one of their parents breathing down their neck and had time to think their own thoughts instead of what those two would try to jam into their brain through the holes in their ears. So, they shouldn't waste this time with unpleasant ideas.

The wind shifted some, and Chara's attention was drawn to the stem that brushed against their palm. They smiled just a little upon the golden flower, before shifting their hand and gently taking its stem between their index finger and thumb. Carefully they plucked the plant from the earth, lifting it closer to their face to inspect its blond petals. Then, after a moment of thought, they flipped the flower around so that its stem was facing them. Thoughtfully they slipped the stem behind their ear and let the flower rest there.

Then, Chara peered into their reflection once more, this time with their own touch added to the mix. Somehow, that little yellow flower made all the difference, and they found themself smiling again.

"Chara? Where are you, boy? It's time to start today's lesson!"

Chara jumped some, quickly climbing to their feet and pulling the flower from their head. Haphazardly they tossed it aside, and it crashed into the water, sending small ripples through their reflection before being silently dragged down the stream. Chara never noticed however, turning their back and running to meet their father's voice.

"... It was only a few days later." Chara spoke as they watched their preteen self run off with distant eyes. "That's when things finally went sideways."

Once more the world peeled away, and Chara lifted their head, watching the streams of color race by. They knew what they were going to see next, and it made their heart ache. They reached up, grabbing the chest of their shirt while their eyes narrowed painfully.

"... I don't know if I'm ready to see it again..." They spoke in a whisper, the shadow of their hair falling over their crimson eyes. They'd seen worse since these days, they'd done worse. But something about this memory ached differently than the others, and it made them anxious to revisit it.

But, as the world started to form around them, they felt a hand on their shoulder. Curiously they glanced up, finding their future self smiling comfortingly down at them.

"You're stronger now." F Chara assured them, and that peeled away some of Chara's anxieties.

"..." They lowered their head, nodding slowly and taking a deep breath. "You're right. Thank you."

F Chara smiled just a little wider at that, glad to have helped their younger self relax as the world re-materialized around the two of them. Once more the two of them stood in that kitchen, watching their Mother set a bowl down in front of a younger Chara, who sat quietly at the kitchen table.

Chara stared into their bowl, absentmindedly stirring the soup inside with their spoon while they spoke flatly. "Thanks."

Their Mother didn't seem to acknowledge their words of thanks, instead stepping behind them and beginning to run her fingers through their hair. This made Chara cringe visibly, but they did not object.

"Mm... Your hair is getting long again." She spoke carelessly, curling a few strands around her fingers. She didn't notice that her words made Chara's teeth clench, their knuckles whitening around their spoon. "I'll have to cut it after dinner."

"..." Chara steeled their nerves, thinking carefully and trying their best to hold the lid of their bottle shut. Unfortunately, their hand slipped, and some six years of rage began slipping out. "... No."

"What?" There was venom in the Mother's tone in that instant, her dark blue eyes narrowing with some decades of rage and indignation.

"... I can't lie anymore." Chara continued to speak in barely a whisper, not lifting their head. "I hate this."

"Well you don't really have an option, Chara!" Their Mother spoke through grinding teeth, muffling only some of her fury. "Do you have any idea what will happen to you if this gets out? What will happen to me?!"

"I don't care." Chara's voice was cold and fearless in a way their Mother had never heard before. This made her recoil, her eyes widening with horror as she stared at the back of her child's head. "I'm not lying anymore."

"You... You're serious." She deduced with that terror in her eyes, before wrath started to spark in her sapphire orbs. her hands balled into fists, and her teeth ground together. "You're actually going to try to throw away everything I've worked for!"

" _You've_ worked for?!" Chara's voice rose, and when they looked over their shoulder with one blood red eye, their Mother flinched. As they shouted, they climbed to their feet, turning to face their Mother. "I've been miserable every day of my life for this! For _you_! And you've never even thanked me!"

"You don't deserve any thanks you _brat_!" In an instant the Mother had swung her open palm like her husband would, sending a scathing slap upside Chara's head and leaving a red mark on their cheek.

"..." Chara had been forced to look to their right by the slap, but slowly - and furiously - they turned their head back to their Mother. When those red eyes smashed into her, she flinched once more. She knew that look after all. It had preceded many of her beatings, it had haunted her dreams, it had cracked and broken her INTEGRITY.

But then, what made her all the more furious, was when Chara tilted their head. They turned the other cheek, keeping one eye locked on their Mother as they reached up, tapping their right cheek. As if they wanted her to strike them again.

The Mother's eye twitched, her teeth grit, her hands shook. Then, she let out a roar, cocked back another open palm, and smacked Chara once more. But Chara never flinched, because it didn't hurt. They just turned to the other cheek, once more asking for another strike. With a scream, their Mother pulled back both of her hands, and tears started to build in her eyes.

"YOU'RE A BOY!" She shouted at the top of her lungs as she swung again and again, knocking Chara's head back and forth with all the anger she'd pushed down in her many miserable years. "YOU'RE A BOY YOU'RE A BOY YOU'RE A BOY YOU'RE A BOY YOU'RE A BOY YOU'RE A BOY YOU'RE A BOY!"

Finally, after receiving one especially harsh slap, Chara leaned back, reached onto the table with their right hand and grabbed the bowl of soup their Mother had prepared for them. Then, swiftly, they lurched forward and swung, smashing the hardened clay of the reddish brown bowl over the woman's head and sending sharp shards and hot soup pouring over her.

She dropped to the floor with a shocked cry, wrapping her hands around the now bleeding side of her face and covering the eye that was on the side of the impact. With her one visible eye she stared fearfully up at Chara, who now loomed over her, fury raging in their eyes.

"I am NOT a boy! I have NEVER BEEN a boy!" Chara snarled, seeing the world in red while their fists trembled at their sides. They shouted, for the first time in their life. Took a stance that was their own and not one someone else had demanded of them. "I will NEVER BE a boy!"

Then, things went deathly silent between the two. They just stood there, huffing and staring at one another. They were crushed, paralyzed by the gravity of this dispute. Things were so quiet in fact that they both heard the door creak and slam from the entry room, and fear appeared in the both of their eyes as they both turned their heads to the man who stood bewildered across the two rooms.

Bewilderment quickly shifted to anger the likes of which neither Chara nor their Mother had ever seen in the eyes of the Chieftain, and as his massive fists clenched, he began stomping across the house towards them.

"F-father!" Chara recoiled, fear chilling their blood as they took a step back, lifting their hands defensively.

"'Never been a boy'." The Chieftain narrowed his eyes irritably, his pupils darting between his wife and his prodigy. "I suggest one of you starts explaining. **Fast."**

"H-husband, I-I can explain!" Chara's Mother desperately tried to get to her feet, but with that brutal strike to the side of her head she found her balance missing. When she stumbled and nearly fell, he grabbed her by the shirt, yanking her up to eye level and making her gasp.

"You haven't been lying to me, have you woman?" There was murder in his voice and madness in his eyes as he pulled her face a little closer. Those vermilion orbs narrowed, while her own sapphire orbs were wide with panic like she'd never felt before.

"P-put... Put her down..!"

"..?" Anger faded in favor of curiosity, and the Chieftain tilted his head to the side to get a look at Chara. They stood there, on shaking legs, pointing the knife he'd given them right at him. With disappointment his hateful orbs narrowed, and he released his grip on his wife, letting her drop to the floor like the garbage he thought she was. "... This is pathetic."

"Look at you, you're shaking. You appear to be on the verge of tears." He shook his head slowly as he took a step forward, forcing Chara to take a fearful step back. He was right, they were trembling like mad, and tears were beginning to blur their vision. "You really _are_ a girl, aren't you?"

"N-no, I'm not..." Chara was quick to reject that reality as well, even though their voice was breaking. This defiance just made the Chieftain shove a chair over as he made his way closer, and they continued to back away.

"Quit lying. No matter what you say, you can't change what you are." He spoke in a low growl, continuing to take bold steps forward while he eyed the knife that was grasped by clammy fingers. "So put that blade down."

"A woman does not have the strength to fight." He stated like he believed it was a fact, those ice cold orbs rising back to Chara's trembling rubies. "She doesn't have what it takes to kill!"

Just as the Chieftain uttered those words, Chara watched their Mother rise behind him with bewilderment. In those sapphire eyes animosity the likes of which Chara had never seen before or since burned, and in one blood stained hand she clutched a shard of the bowl that had been smashed over her head earlier.

The next instant shot by at lightening speed, but Chara perceived it in slow motion. Their Mother swung one arm up as she lunged forward, driving that shard through the Chieftain's throat with one hand and wrapping her other hand around his face as she crashed into his back. Furiously she screamed as he was shoved to the ground by her tackle, straddling his back and viciously yanking her weapon free, only to plunge it back into his left eye.

Mother screaming and father gargling his own blood, Chara slowly backed away on shaking legs, before inevitably falling flat on their bottom. Blood splattering up the right side of their face, they watched fearfully as their Mother brutalized her husband, screaming like a furious banshee along the way. The image of his one remaining eye peering up at them, horrified and desperate, would be burned onto the inside of their eyelids for years to come. It was as though they could hear his voice inside their head.

 _"Help me..!"_

They didn't. In fact they just sat there, frozen as they watched their Mother massacre the man that had ruled over her for her entire life. Eventually, after minutes or hours, her anger and her hatred ran dry, and her arms went limp at her sides. Then she just sat there, panting sobbing while her eyes never left the back of her now late husband's head.

Gradually, feeling returned to Chara's legs, and shakily they began to climb to their feet. Mother's head did not rise as Chara stumbled around her, trying their best not to step in the growing pool of blood. It wasn't until they'd made it past their Mother and into the living room that she lifted her head, and her voice called out.

"Hey... Where are you going..?" Chara trembled as they looked over their shoulder, and flinched when they saw their Mother's one madness stricken eye laying upon them as she too glanced over her shoulder to see them. "You can't just leave me like this..."

Chara gnawed on their lower lip, tears overflowing from their eyes once more as they forced their body forward. But, even as their Mother began to rise behind them, they found their limbs stiff and struggled to move. It felt like they were in a slow motion terror dream.

"Chara..!" Their Mother shambled closer, a stumbling corpse of a woman long dead. Her arms were limp at her sides, her lightless eyes wide and unblinking. "You can't abandon me..!"

Chara shook their head, forcing each of their lead feet forward, one after the other.

"How dare you..?!" She reached out desperately for Chara, but they were still too far away, and she swiped at nothing but air. "You brat..! You're just like your father!

Chara didn't respond, just managing to grab hold of the doorknob and turn it, slamming all of their weight into the door and shoving it open. Before they could make a break for it, however, blood soaked hands wrapped around their left arm, and their mother shouted out.

"You're the only thing I have!" She yanked viciously on Chara's arm, pulling them away from the door. This ignited further fear and panic in the poor child, and they cried out with surprise as they were pulled. "I won't let you leave me!"

Clutching their tear filled eyes shut tight, Chara spun around and stabbed out with the stone blade wrapped in their fingers. Their knife jammed right into their Mother's shoulder, making her gasp with pain and surprise. She tumbled backwards, releasing Chara and falling to the ground, clutching the handle that protruded from her arm.

"..." Once more things were quiet, and slowly the Mother lifted her head from the dagger wedged in her flesh to her mortified child. The madness and the rage had faded from her eyes, now replaced by the soul crushing sadness she felt. In her disbelief, she could only utter a few words. "... I gave you a home."

"..." Chara shook their head slowly, sniffling and reaching over to grab the handle of the door at their side. "But you took everything else."

"Chara..!" Their Mother called out as they slammed the door behind themself, escaping that shattered home. "Chara!"

Chara ran. For hours and hours, back up the mountain they had been fleeing down once upon a time. It was the only place they could think of to run to. Anywhere was better than where they were fleeing from. Anyone was better than that woman.

"..." This time, colors did not peel away in a swirling void. This time, things dimmed and dimmed, until Chara and their future self were standing in a blank void, peering into the nothingness.

"... Everybody knows how the story goes from there." Chara blinked their bitter orbs painfully, staring for infinite miles into the blackness. "A human falls into the Underground, 'gets sick' after five years of being part of the royal family and dies, and then Prince Asriel takes their soul and carries their body to the surface, only to be murdered by the humans at the foot of the mountain."

"... Except we poisoned ourself, we carried our body, and we tried to make Asriel be the killer that he just wasn't." F Chara filled in the blanks with painful precision, frowning deeply. "Which resulted in both of us dying and Asriel inevitably being resurrected as Flowey."

"I'll... Never really understand how we thought that was a good idea." Chara sighed, shutting their eyes and slowly taking a seat on the void's obsidian floor. "I just remember being... So angry after I heard what humans did to monsters. Monsters had always shown me kindness right from the beginning, after all. Humans had only tried to use me or hurt me. Or both."

"That coupled with the way Asgore and Toriel used to talk about how we were 'the future' made us feel like we _had_ to do something as soon as possible." F Chara grunted with some exertion, taking a seat next to Chara. "We felt like we owed them."

"Didn't we, though?" Chara shrugged with one arm, looking over to their other self. "They gave us everything they had and never asked for a thing in return. They weren't demanding that we save the Underground for them. They just genuinely believed that one day we'd get the chance, and we'd make the right choice."

"... But by then we were too damaged." F Chara sighed with exasperation and disappointment in their past mistakes. "We didn't understand the difference."

"... And then we left the Underground to ruin for who knows how many decades. Found ourself awake again, just to watch Frisk eventually tear the world we knew and everyone we ever cared about apart." Chara leaned their head back, blinking slowly. "I think somewhere in there was when we went crazy."

"Who could blame us? With the memory of getting Asriel killed fresh in our head every time we saw Flowey, coupled with Frisk subjecting us to our own personal hell, it's a wonder we ever got better." F Chara looked away with some shame in their eyes. "Frisk beat the idea deeper into our skull, that DETERMINATION is an evil trait. And by the time they killed Flowey while he wore Asriel's face, we were ready to believe that we were evil, too."

"First, we just wanted to be a consequence for Frisk. After they gave us their soul to RESET their actions, we made sure they could never have a happy future again." Chara's hand clenched into a fist at their side. "Whether they started killing from the beginning or they got the monsters to the surface, at the end of the day everyone would always end up dead by their-... _Our_ hands."

"... Somewhere along the lines, we got addicted to that feeling. We'd felt powerless our whole life and afterlife, so to be the one in control, to have power and lord it over another... It felt good." F Chara narrowed their eyes at the sting their own words brought. It was hard to face these parts of themself, and none of these memories were easy to think about. "We came to love battle, it was the only thing we'd ever felt we were good at. It helped us forget the things we hated about ourself, helped us pretend that we weren't as hurt and vulnerable as we really were."

"... And then, some red souled, green eyed lunatic gouged our eye out with a pen." Despite the gruesomeness of the memory, Chara still smirked just a little from the thought, their eyes not leaving the void sky. "And the world was flipped upside down."

"He really made quite the first impression, didn't he?" Smirking some to themself, F Chara lowered their eyes to the floor, shaking their head. "Angel was like nobody we'd ever met before."

"His soul was red, but his eyes were green." Chara furrowed their brows in thought, pondering their friend's ideals. "We could tell he had the evil desires that come with DETERMINATION. We were even pretty sure he'd already done some bad things. And yet..."

"He was trying to be better. And we'd never seen that before. At least not in anyone with a soul like ours." F Chara furrowed their brows too, like they still found Cter's original goals odd. "No matter what we tried him with, we just couldn't get him to go back on his morals. We couldn't make him fold, not like we had."

"... And, the more we talked to him, the more _he_ convinced _us_." Chara finally looked ahead again, shaking their head lightly. "We told ourself we wanted him to be like us, but really... We wanted to be like him."

"It blew our mind, how he could change for the better." F Chara lifted their hand, narrowing their eyes at their open palm. "Up until we met him, we'd only ever seen people change for the worse."

 _"_ _No matter what you say, you can't change what you are."_

Chara shut their eyes, taking a deep breath as they heard those same words echo in their head again. "Somehow, against all odds, he got us to believe something different. He got us to believe we could be better, too."

"..." Things were quiet for a few long moments, before Chara squinted in thought. Another moment or two went by, and then they sighed, looking over to their future counterpart. There was no anger in their eyes this time, no hate. "... Why'd you do it?"

"..." F Chara's hair shadowed their eyes, and they lowered their head shamefully. They didn't utter a single word, but dim colors began to flicker on in the surrounding void. Their younger doppelganger watched with some curiosity and some disgust as vague horrors flickered in the darkness. Images of different Monsters shattering to dust at their own hands. From people they hardly knew to their closest friends.

Then, directly in front of the two of them, one memory appeared more clear than the rest. A dark kitchen with a wooden floor and a small bar in the corner, where a king and a disgraced heir sat and wallowed.

 _"... I messed up, Angel." F Chara spoke after a pause, both hands wrapped around their glass and their eyes drowning in it's contents. "Even someone as crazy as me can understand that."_

 _"You aren't crazy." Future made an attempt, but it just made Chara shoot him a sarcastic and condescending look. That made him scoff with some amusement, shutting his eyes and turning his head back to his glass with a smile that was less than happy. "'Least, you aren't when I'm around."_

 _"Well, that was the problem. You weren't around." Chara shrugged their shoulders, frown only growing and head not lifting. "At first I didn't know how to feel when you left. I was angry and betrayed. Then I was sad and alone."_

Chara sat there, watching with curiosity and empathy as the scene unfolded. The longer they watched the two poor souls interact the more they felt their grip on their disdain loosen, until eventually, all that hatred slipped free from their grasp and disappeared.

 _"I was furious with you, but I still missed you. And that made me furious with myself, too." Chara leaned back, letting their eyes rest on the ceiling. "I was confused. Didn't know what to feel. And that made me remember what I did the last time my whole life felt upside down."_

 _Future's jaw clenched, and through gritting teeth he sucked more alcohol. He still didn't object however, knowing these were words he had to hear, no matter how much they hurt._

 _"At first the thought was silly. I dismissed it with ease." Chara paused, shadow dropping over their eyes. "... Then it came back. Again. And again. And again. Each time the idea made a little more sense than it had last time."_

And as Chara came to understand and forgive their future doppelganger, they also found some forgiveness for themself. When they realized that there wasn't really any evil in F Chara, they finally accepted that there wasn't any in them, either. They were just damaged and made the wrong choice, like any person could. And that relief lifted a weight from their shoulders, made their heart lighter.

 _"... What about everyone else?" Future narrowed his eyes sorrowfully, KIND emeralds finally breaking free from the shadow. "Didn't you care about any of them?"_

 _"... Of course. They were all my family. I loved them." F Chara looked ahead, and without hesitation they lifted their glass, taking a long drink before speaking again. "But I didn't think I'd have time to regret it. I'd kill them, and you'd finally come back to stop me."_

But Chara didn't have much time to enjoy this new found enlightenment, suddenly struck with a realization as they watched this memory unfold. With concern they furrowed their brows, but they did not interject.

 _"... You wanted me to kill you."_

 _"I was counting on it."_

"..." Chara lowered their head and pondered what they'd just seen and the theories they had, before lifting their head and looking over to their counterpart. "... Hey."

"Hm..?" F Chara lifted their head some, glancing over to their younger self. That recent memory clearly made them ache, Chara could see the sorrow in their eyes. They had pulled their knees close to themself, huddled themself into an ashamed little ball.

"... I'm sorry. About snapping at you earlier, I mean." Chara glanced to the side somewhat awkwardly, struggling with giving a genuine apology, especially in these circumstances. "I don't really hate you. I was just... Furious with myself, is all."

"... Hm." F Chara smiled lightly, huffing with some amusement. "It's okay, if anyone gets being angry with yourself, it's me."

"..." Chara was quiet for a few more moments, collecting their thoughts. They felt they had more to say, but just as they opened their mouth to speak, a droplet of water struck the bridge of their nose, making them flinch with surprise. As the water began to trickle down their face, they reached up, wiping it from their face and inspecting it curiously. "Rain? In the void?"

"... Well, it looks like our time is up." F Chara said wistfully, leaning their head back and watching as white specks began to pierce through the inky blackness surrounding them. They turned their head then, looking back to a concerned and confused Chara. "I'm sorry for making you feel unsure before, Chara. I hope I can make it up to you."

"Make it up to me..?" Chara repeated to themself with minor confusion, before another droplet struck their face, distracting them for a moment while F Chara climbed to their feet. More and more white pinpricks were appearing in the dark, gradually growing wider as Chara's eyes darted to their standing counterpart. "Hey, wait! What are you planning-?!"

Just as Chara stumbled to their feet, the disgraced heir turned around and reached out, setting a hand on their younger self's head. This surprised Chara some, making them look up with bewilderment and confusion into the eyes of their elder self.

"Chara... Do you know what the difference between you and your Cter is?" F Chara asked with a curious tilt of the head.

"The difference..?" Chara furrowed their brows with some thought, but eventually shook their head. "No, I ... I don't think I do."

"When you give one hundred percent and it's not enough, you assume you've failed." F Chara smiled a little sadly and a little knowingly. "When Cter's one hundred percent is not enough, he pushes to two hundred percent. And if that's not enough, three hundred percent."

"... Yeah, I guess that's true..." Chara narrowed their eyes with thought, lowering their head some. They remembered it vividly, the way Cter always popped back up. Even when they killed him, he resurrected himself twice as strong. "Somehow he always has further to go."

"Well so do you." F Chara spoke confidently, and Chara furrowed their brows with a good measure of disbelief up at them. This made their older self laugh a bit. "It's true!"

"You just have to dig deeper. You've done it before." F Chara smiled a little wider as more and more light flooded the blackness, forcing Chara to wince. "I know you can shatter your limitations, you just have to push harder!"

"But I've been pushing harder!" Chara objected as the disgraced heir removed their hand from their head and stepped back into the light, which was growing too bright to stand. "I don't understand what I have to do!"

"You have what it takes, Chara. You'll be much better than I ever was." Chara could hear their doppelganger's voice, but was blinded in the brutal white flares, forced to throw up an arm to shield their eyes.

"But-! Wait!" Chara objected, lowering their head and clamping their eyes shut tight to defend against the invading light. "I'm not ready-!"

"... Keep fighting for the future you want to see, Chara. I know you'll be amazing."

* * *

"GET UP AND SAVE US, CHARA!"

Slowly, the red torrent around Chara and I faded into thin air, and I panted heavily as I lurched forward, clutching my eyes shut tight. My body and my soul ached, adrenaline running dry while the pain of my open wounds caught up with me.

"... Angel..?"

My emerald orbs managed to open, and as a tear dripped from the tip of my nose to Chara's dazed expression, I smiled wide with relief.

"I... Knew you'd wake up..." I managed to say, before gravity gave me a sudden yank, and I dropped to my side. Chara's eyes widened at this, their senses returning quickly as mine were starting to fade.

"Cter!" They called out with surprise, rising swiftly and grabbing my crumpled body from the scorched dirt. They looked confused and afraid as they propped my head up in their hand, crimson eyes scanning my injuries. When their eyes finally landed back on mine, they opened their mouth to let the hundred and one questions trapped in their throat rain down on me. Unfortunately, before they could, another voice interjected.

"Aww, congrats Hacker! You saved your Chara!" Character clapped sarcastically as they walked to the rim of the crater we laid in, their shadow crashing down over us. Their sadistic smile disappeared in the next instant however, replaced by an emotionless, wide eyed stare. "Now you're both gonna die."

I grit my teeth anxiously, wincing up at the malevolent fusion as Chara knelt protectively between me and Character. They shot a similarly unsure glare up at the enemy, and I could see the sweat starting to form on their brow. They were afraid, I could feel it. Something about the blood red in Character's lifeless orbs paralyzed them, and though I wanted to shake them out of it, I found it hard to move my arms at all, let alone use them to yank someone out of a trance like this.

"What's the matter, dick heads?! No one liners for this one?!" Character snarled furiously as they threw up both their hands, presumably to manifest something massive to kill us both with in the sky above. "Did you not hear us?! You're both gonna-!"

Then, in an instant, the fusion's face went pale. Their whole body tensed, their eyes snapped open wide and their jaw flew open, before quickly clamping shut just as their cheeks bulged out with the rising of their stomach contents.

"What the..?" Chara and I spoke in unison, both freed from our fears by the sheer confusion we felt. That was, until we saw just above Character's knocking knees a boot was buried in their groin. Right when they started to drop their arms, another pair of arms shot out from below them, putting Character in a full nelson and restraining them.

"What was that about the future counterparts being like cardboard, numb nuts?!" F Chara snarled, removing their foot from where it was buried to stomp it into the ground and give themself better leverage to keep Character locked in their grip.

"Not... Numb..." Character managed to speak in a voice that was strained and of a slightly higher pitch, right eye twitching with agony as they struggled to keep down their lunch. "Not numb... At all... Wish they were..."

"ANGEL!" F Chara shouted out then, clenching their eyes shut tight. I recoiled some when I heard my name shouted, but when I tried to sit up, my aching body stopped me dead. "BEAT DOME! NOW!"

"You... Bitch..!" Character managed to growl when they heard those words leave F Chara's mouth. They struggled some, but with most of their body still quaking with pain that they weren't the least bit accustomed to, it didn't amount to much. "When we get out of this, we're gonna..!"

"Shut up!" F Chara cut them off, tightening their grip and pushing Character's chin further into their chest with their hands, which were locked behind the fusion's head.

"But, if I use a Beat Dome while you're right in the center with them..!" My eyes widened when I realized F Chara's plan, shaking my head slowly. "And I don't even have the strength to-!"

"They weren't talkin' to you, munchkin!"

Chara and I were both surprised to hear Future's voice, and both of us looked with wide eyes to the king, who stood at the opposite end of the crater. His teeth grinding and DETERMINATION flaring in his left eye, red flames exploded to life around his shattered arm. Chara and I watched with growing dismay as his bent elbow snapped back into place and his fingers curled into a fist. His other arm remained limp, blood still trickling down to his finger tips from where his spear had previously been embedded in his shoulder.

"Wait, Future, you can't!" Chara objected, sitting up some and looking up to the king with desperation in their eyes. "If you fire while they're right there with Character, then-!"

Future let his harsh gaze drop down to meet Chara's for a moment, and it made their words stop halfway out of their mouth. They could see it in his eyes, we both could. This decision hurt him more than either of us could fathom, but he had steeled himself. It was his Kingdom or F Chara, and with that crown gleaming atop his head, he picked the greater good. So he dug deep, gathered all of his DETERMINATION, and threw his open palm out towards the enemy to grant the martyr's final wish.

With a powerful and emotional roar, Future's eye ignited even more brightly, and the shoulder blades of his shirt tore open. From his back two beautiful onyx wings spread wide, and violently wind blasted out around him. Then, in the sky above, massive rings began to take shape. Beat Blaster after Beat Blaster formed, each shining so brightly that only their lights were visible.

From every drop of the king's might these circles were formed, until seven of The Angel's Halos of Death loomed over Character and F Chara, each pulsating with light in the sky above. Chara and I watched in awe and horror as the Halos began to spin, their light reflecting in our eyes.

"Let! Go of us!" Character struggled desperately, fear appearing in their still painfully winced eyes as the world got brighter and brighter around them.

"Not gonna happen." F Chara assured sternly, fingers locked tightly together despite Character's thrashing.

"Don't you get it?!" There was panic in the fusion's voice as they attempted to look back at the one restraining them. "If you keep holding us here you'll die with us!"

"Heh." F Chara just smirked with calm that chilled Character's bones, lowering their head and shutting their eyes. "Whatever."

Then, they lifted their head, and their ruby orbs connected with Future's emerald ones. For just a moment the king hesitated, their eyes striking him like a bolt of lightning. For just a moment, he felt like the weight of this decision was going to crush every bone in his body. But then, F Chara smiled. Genuinely, and with understanding. This did not lighten the weight on Future's shoulders, but it strengthened his will, made him plant his feet and bare every bit of the pressure crashing down on him.

With grit and DETERMINATION, he clenched his jaw despite the stream of tears that overflowed down his cheek. Intensity flared in his once lifeless and haggard eyes, and he clenched his fist tight, sending scorching rays blasting from the heavens above.

The scream of those devastating beams filled our ears, and Chara glanced over their shoulder at the writhing mass of energy as it ate through the earth, sending stones blasting out with dust and smoke while the ground was shredded and glassed over. They narrowed their eyes with an emotion I'd never seen on them before and could not identify, but I was certain it was painful. But then, after that brief hesitation, Chara scooped my less than responsive body into their arms and climbed to their feet. Quickly they jumped, scaling the rim of the crater and getting back above sea level and further away from Future's massive attack.

I wanted to thank them, but I was transfixed on the mass of devastation that writhed behind us. I remembered thinking my own Beat Dome of three rings looking scary, but this... This looked like divine punishment, the wrath of a god. The air vibrated, the ground burned and cracked, the windows of surroundings buildings exploding to shards. It felt like I was standing before a perpetually exploding atomic bomb. It felt like the hairs on my arms were going to singe away just from being within a mile radius of it. It felt like the city's rising temperatures were going to burn my flesh.

Chara landed behind Future after jumping from the crater we'd been inside of, which was now being dwarfed by the one Future was creating next to it. The two massive holes in the earth were merging together, with Future's being more wide and noticeably deeper.

Hair and clothes being yanked at by the whipping winds, Chara and I watched this massive strike take place like ants seeing the explosive, burning ray of a magnifying glass destroying our colony in the distance. In that instant, despite all of our power, all of our accomplishments, all of our death defying stunts, we were small. Tiny, vulnerable things just trying to survive.

My eyes glossed to the winged back of my future self, wide with awe at this massive display of power. It was amazing and terrifying, watching an ArchAngel unleash the full force his wrath on a sinner. But, after minutes that lasted as long as hours, the light began to fade, and Future stumbled.

I watched as the king's wings returned to his back and his hand dropped back to his side. As quickly as they'd came, the Halos disappeared from the sky, leaving devastation and a fog of death in their wake. Smoke swirled and wafted quietly in the air, the only noise left being the crackle of whatever had been unlucky enough to ignite in the massive waves of heat. I wasn't sure what temperature that dome had made the area reach, but I was glad it wasn't above my melting point.

Panting, Future stumbled forward, one of his knees buckling and sending him dropping down to the ground with the rest of us. he rested on one knee and one hand, gasping for breath while sweat drenched his face. It was all he could manage to lift his head, and look out at the devastation he caused.

"... Cha... ra..." He managed to speak through his hoarse throat, his vision fading in and out. Then, Chara and I were too paralyzed by the events of the last few minutes to catch him when his eyes closed and his balance failed him, and he dropped right onto his side with a thud that, despite hardly making much noise, to us was absolutely deafening.

This shook Chara from their trance, and they gently set me down, rushing to Future's side and looking him over. When they realized he wasn't conscious, they placed their index finger and middle finger on his neck to check his pulse, and after a few agonizingly long seconds, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's alive." They spoke with exasperation, falling back onto their bottom and leaning back on their hands. "He just passed out from over exertion..."

"... But..." I looked back out to the smoldering blast sight, eyes narrowing painfully. "What about..?"

"..." Chara's expression grew much more somber, and they lowered their eyes to the dirt they sat on. "There's no one alive who could've survived something like that."

"..." I went quiet as I laid there on my side, propped up on my elbow. My eyes drifted to the shattered concrete and dirt that we laid upon, and pain and regret entered their emerald shine.

 _"Thanks, Angel. You really are too KIND."_

It was hard to process, all the devastation I'd caused. Here I laid, beaten and bloody, surrounded by death and destruction. A city had been leveled, someone had died, all because I tried to spare someone who I should've just killed! If I'd just been smarter, if I hadn't tried to high road Hacker, if I had just finished them both off right when I got down there!

Green orbs trembling in my eye sockets, I let my eyes drop to my clenched fist. I'd failed, I'd let everyone down, and then someone had to give their life just to clean up my mess!

*I can't believe how stupid you've become.

I clenched my eyes shut tight after reading those words, slamming my fist onto the destroyed ground with whatever puny strength was left in it.

 _"Hah... Hah..."_

My eyes snapped open wide as footsteps echoed up from the canyon we'd just witnessed the creation of, and both Chara and I yanked our heads up to peer into the foggy depths of devastation. Down below, we watched one beaten and burnt body emerge from the claws Death, and it wasn't who we'd been hoping for.

"You... _You_..!" Character snarled like a rabid animal, their wide eyes missing both pupil and iris, giving them a look that was entirely inhuman. Their arms were limp at their sides, both their shirt and everything below the knee of both their pant legs had been completely scorched away in the blast, leaving nothing but bubbling black masses of charred skin that smoldered red mist. Singed hair falling in loose strands around their gradually healing expression, they lifted their head, shooting their deadly glare right up at us.

"That... Can't be..." I managed to say, hopeless eyes wide and dim. Whether it was the situation or my injuries, I didn't pay much mind to Character raising their hand up, palm to the sky. Luckily, Chara did.

"Shit!" Swiftly they sprung to their feet, grabbing me by the wrist and yanking me up over their shoulder with a kind of urgency that made my body ache worse. I could feel it as they quickly grabbed Future with their remaining hand, yanking his limp body up under their free arm. The ground was starting to rumble.

Chara dove forward, and I watched as gargantuan pens blasted up from the ground where we'd once been, jutting up into the sky like some malformed skyscraper as Chara sent us tumbling back down into the crater that Character was wandering into. It was a feeling not unlike tripping and falling into the gorilla enclosure.

We skidded to a stop, Future's body and mine tumbling apart while Chara managed to catch themself, sliding crouched and managing to remain on their feet. They skidded down between Future's unconscious form and my barely responsive body. All the while their eyes remained locked upon the malevolent fusion that crept closer.

"Don't you get it..?!" Character roared, trembling with rage as they clenched their fists tight at their sides. That evil red color returned to their eyes, electricity of a similar shade jumping around their flesh, which was slowly returning to a not-so-charred color. "We're unstoppable! There's no cheap trick, no worthless sacrifice, and no LOW BLOW that can save you!"

Chara's eyes darted from Character, to Future, to me, and then down to their own clenched fists. There was nobody else left now, and that made them feel hopeless in all sorts of ways.

 _N-... No... It's happening again..._ Fear flickering in their wide eyes, Chara took a step back when Character took a step forward. They were trembling, icy sweat dripping down there face. _It's all up to me..! Everyone's future is on my shoulders!_

"WHAT'S THE MATTER?" Character shouted as they took another earth shattering step forward, red steam reaching up from between their gritting teeth. "IS IT SINKING IN?!"

 _I... I-I can't do this..!_ Chara shook their head, pupils shrinking with terror as they heard Character scream out to them. _I'm gonna crack..! I'm gonna let everyone down!_

 ** _"No matter what you say, you can't change what you are."_**

 _I can't change!_ Bile was making it's way up Chara's throat, terrified black tears filling their eyes.

 _ **"Do you know what the difference between you and your Cter is?"**_

 _I'm not like him!_ Chara shook their head as they took another shaky step back, knees threatening to buckle.

 _ **"T**_ ** _o us you look a lot more like a sniveling little girl!"_**

Those obsidian tears overflowed down Chara's cheeks. They felt their legs about to give, their throat about to close. They were the same, nothing had changed since they stared down the Chieftain as a kid.

 _I'm just not strong enough!_

"CHARA!"

A voice pierced the echo chamber of their self loathing thoughts, and Chara swiftly turned their head to their left, sending black droplets flicking from their cheeks. Their stunned expression landed on me, and I winced up at them from where I laid flat on my stomach, barely able to prop myself up on my elbows. "You can do this!"

"W-... What..?" They spoke in barely a whisper, sniffling and attempting to swallow the lump in their throat. "But... I..."

"I used my DETERMINATION to heal _you_ , not _me_!" I shouted, hands balled into tight fists underneath me. "Because you're strong enough to stop Character, and I'm not!"

"What..? But, that doesn't..." Gently they placed a hand on their chest, bewilderment clear on their tear stained expression. "I'm not..."

"Yes you are!" I slammed one of my fists on the ground, wincing from the pain my shouting caused me. "You just have to stop doubting yourself!"

"..." Chara's eyes darted from me to their trembling hands, their teeth grinding together with frustration. Then, in a burst of panicked energy, they reached up, grabbing fistfuls of their hair while they rapidly shook their head, like they were trying to jumble their thoughts together. Then, suddenly, they looked back to me, more tears streaking down their face, leaving black stains.

"Why would you heal me over yourself?! Of course you could beat Character! You're so much stronger than me! How could you possibly think I could handle this?!" Chara demanded to know, lowering their head to hide their tears and stomping their foot in a display of vexation. "I'm weak! I'm a screw up! I'm worthless! I'm-!"

"I DON'T THINK YOU'RE A SCREW UP!" I suddenly shouted over all of Chara's self loathing, making their words stop halfway out of their throat. I clenched my eyes shut tight and my fists tighter, words exploding out of me without a second thought. "I don't think you're weak, I don't think you're worthless! CHARA!"

"I THINK YOU'RE AMAZING!"

Chara's eyes went wide, floored by the sudden feeling of someone piercing through their mental blockade. They stumbled back a single step while their hands dropped from the top of their head, and for a moment their mind went quiet. Each of those invasive thoughts, every hateful word they'd ever heard disappeared.

 _"I know you can shatter your limitations, you just have to push harder!"_

And then, mid backward stumble, they caught themself and planted their feet. At their sides their elbows bent, and as their fists clenched tightly, a surge of power blasted out from their soul. With a primal roar, a shock wave exploded out around Chara, forcing both me and Character to recoil, the fusion throwing an arm up to shield their eyes.

A pillar of crimson light blasted high into the overcast sky, and as bolts of DETERMINATION fired off of Chara's body like electricity, it once more felt that the air was vibrating with power. They threw their head back, auburn hair lifting slightly from the winds that blasted up around them, and several vermilion sparks flickered from their right eye before it exploded to life in brilliant red flames.

Screaming with the power that was surging through their body like a million volts, Chara shook their head, lurching forward some and bringing their clenched fists closer to their core. Then, with another blast of power, they threw their head back and arched their back in a quick jerking motion. This seemed to break something free, and the shoulders of their shirt ripped open, streams of red energy blasting out from their shoulder blades like fire from a torch.

Soon enough, the burning DETERMINATION venting out of Chara's shoulders began to take form. It morphed and shifted, before finally shaping itself into two wing-like appendages made of burning scarlet light.

With the forming of their wings, Chara's battle cry died down, and they relaxed their body some. They stood up straight, chest lifting and falling lightly as the red pillar around them dissipated. The crimson electricity that jumped around them remained however, and when they lowered their head back from the sky they'd been shouting at, and their death glare landed upon a completely bewildered Character, one could see clear tears now in place of the blackened and bitter ones that had streamed down their face before. With the aura of light red dancing around them still causing an updraft of power however, those tears lifted upwards from their cheeks, floating off somewhere into the air.

And suddenly, as I was laying there flat on my face with nothing but Chara standing tall between me and certain death, I felt something strange. For just a moment, no more than a second or two, it felt like I was Lois Lane, swooning as Superman saves me from some overly elaborate 1960's comic book trap.

... Except for the part where I'm a dude. And maybe it was the lighting, or the blunt force head trauma and blood loss, but right now, in this instant? Chara looked more like a Wonder Woman than a Superman to me.

I didn't have much time to ponder, however, my adrenaline running dry. As I felt my head lowering to the ground, those strange thoughts and feelings faded out of my exhaustion fried brain, and I passed right out in the dirt.

"W-what..? What the..?!" Character took a step back, newly reformed eye twitching with both shock and frustration. "What on our good scorched Earth is this?!"

Chara didn't say a word as their knife appeared from their inventory, grasped tightly in their hand. Fearlessly they walked forward, hate burning in their eyes for the wretched fusion.

"So what?!" Character snarled furiously, stamping their foot and cracking the earth beneath them. "You put on a little light show and suddenly you think you can take us on?!"

Still not speaking, Chara continued to calmly close the distance, the volts of their DETERMINATION crackling in the air around them.

"Did you forget how weak you are?! Did you forget how easy it was for us to snap your bones in two?!" Character gave a berserk grin and stomped forward, like they were threatening to charge. Chara didn't flinch though, they could see the sweat on that coward's brow. "You really think YOU can fight US?!"

"... Fight you?" Chara finally spoke, repeating Character's words with a curious raise of their eyebrows. Just the sound of their voice made the fusion flinch, sent a chill up their spine. After that, Chara's eyes narrowed, their lips curling into a vicious scowl. "No..."

Chara flicked their weapon effortlessly out to the side, and scarlet energy raced up it's edge, forming over the blade and growing out from it's point, turning what was once a knife into a searing crimson sword.

Holding their now upgraded blade out to their side, they planted one foot forward and raised their free fist to Character.

 **"I'm gonna kill you."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	37. Chapter 37: The Color Red

**Thanks go to Wingah, 10burgers, CrystalGamer82, Zack Frost, Skele, GrayK, EpicSlayerGuy99, Guest, Sonic245, JasherTheDarkened, NBoss01, Jack54311, Genowar, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, and Doctah Sawbones.**

 **I realized I never said when this chapter would be posted last chapter. Oops. ^^;**

 **The next chapter will be uploaded March 1st! Please enjoy this chapter, and have a nice day!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 **"I'm gonna kill you."**

Character recoiled from Chara's words, eye twitching with a good jumble of unstable emotions. Their pupils darted from their blade, to their wings, to the fury in their eyes.

"You... You..!" Fists trembling at their side, the fusion fumed. With madness their red eyes flickered, before a roar blasted up from their throat, and they threw their head back, bending their arms at the elbow and clenching their fists tight.

Chara's face remained carved in stone, but they suddenly shifted with the rumbling of the earth, letting their body sway some as they leaned forward before they shot ahead like they'd were spring-loaded.

As massive erasers blasted up from the scorched dirt below, Chara was like a bolt of lightning, leaving nothing but a burning red trail behind them as they darted between the pillars before any of them could get more than three feet out of the ground.

 _They're fast-!_ Character recoiled on instinct, leaning back and grimacing as red lightning cracked across the earth in mere seconds. they had no time to react before they were mercilessly struck, Chara once again becoming visible from their vermilion blur as they appeared with one foot buried to the ankle in the fusion's abdomen.

Everything moved in slow motion as Character lurched forward, blood spattering out of their jaws. A sickening crunch echoed out of their body from the impact. Then, time sped back up, and a wave of force blasted dust up around the two, before the fusion was sent slingshotting back into the massive crater Future's Beat Dome had created.

Chara landed back on both feet, skidding forward some from the momentum that had carried through their sternum shattering kick. Slowly they stood back to their full height, remaining stone faced as they looked out at the now distant form, flipping and skidding over the glassed sands.

"... Ooh, were those your ribs?" A smirk gradually crept up Chara's face as they reached up, wiping a splotch of blood that Character had spit up off their cheek with the back of their fist.

 **"That sounded like your ribs."**

 **Chapter 37: The Color Red**

 _"Don't lie to me on this."_

* * *

 _Red Light_ by _SharaX_ began playing.

Grunts and yelps of pain shot out of Character left and right as they tumbled over the ground like a weed in an Old Western. Eventually, they managed to flip into a crouched position, skidding on both feet and one hand across the rough dirt while they placed their free hand over the throbbing pain in their abdomen.

"So what, everybody from that stupid timeline gets a pair'a wings..?!" Character's voice was strained, a red stream running from the corner of their mouth as mist of a similar shade trickled up from between their grinding teeth. Before they could continue to gripe, and just as they were pushing themself up to their feet, their knees buckled, and they lurched forward to wretch crimson out onto the charred grey that they knelt upon.

"Agh... Heal faster, worthless body..." Character jabbed their own knuckles into their own hip to try and jump start their aching body, gradually lifting their head and letting their eyes settle on the shimmering red figure in the distance.

"Damn it..." Slowly the fusion's fingers dug into the scorched sands, panting lightly as they once more began pushing themself to their feet. "Putting ourself back together after that dome attack took almost everything we had..."

"But it's fine... We're better than this..! Better than them!" Teeth grinding, Character climbed back to their full height. They threw their hand out to the side, and a knife appeared in their grasp as red lights flickered to life in their furious eyes.

"It doesn't matter how many wings they grow! It doesn't matter how fast they are!" From their shoulder blades, massive hands of ink ripped free. The hands swung forward, digging their blackened fingers into the dirt and yanking Character across the earth, throwing them at the distant Chara. "They're still gonna die!"

Chara just narrowed their eyes at the airborne fusion, squaring their feet and holding their shimmering crimson blade out to their side. With a calm pace they wrapped their free hand around the sword's handle as well, and as those obsidian hands stretched out to crush them, they bent their knees only slightly.

Then, the earth shattered underneath them, and once more they crackled through the air like scarlet lightning, closing the distance between themself and their enemy in what seemed to be a blink of Character's eyes.

The two in one were stunned as Chara was suddenly inches from them, those ink hands sliced to ribbons with only black droplets and lines of red mist to show the path Chara's weapon had carved through them in their wake. Now right in the fusion's face, Chara planted one foot in their chest, using their sternum like a stair to step up onto their face with their other foot. From there, they kicked off, front flipping higher into the air while the force of their jump forced Character to flip back, flinging back towards the ground upside down as Chara ascended in the same manner.

Spinning upright with the help of their wings, Chara rose their blade high above their head, and it's DETERMINED flames flared before they slashed down towards the enemy. From their weapon a crimson slash carved across the sky, making Character's eyes snap open wide as they threw their arms up in an X to block the strike, ink curling around them from their back just before the wave of DT crashed into them, exploding into red mist on impact and sending the fusion blasting with greater speed towards the dirt.

Character hit the ground and rolled, digging their finger nails into the dirt to stop their momentum and shooting a hateful glare up at Chara, who was descending gracefully to the earth. They stuck the landing while Character climbed to their feet, and the fusion stumbled forward some, one arm hanging limp.

Character threw back their other arm, a dozen mechanical pencils appearing in the sky behind them and taking aim on the Ascended Heir. Chara remained stoic however, lifting their eyes casually to spot each of the weapons glaring from above. Then, once more they swayed from side to side, lowering themself towards the ground before they burst forward in another stunning display of speed.

"Come on, mother fucker!" Character shouted furiously as graphite bars launched from above, watching as as Chara weaved perfectly between each bolt. They only raised their blade to slash through the final spear, sending grey dust blasting out around them and obscuring them from view for only a split second.

In the next instant, Chara was dashing from the smoke, lunging forward with a kick. This time Character managed to throw their arms up in an X just in time, grinding their teeth as the force of Chara's impact against their forearms sent vibrations bouncing between their ulna and radius, up their humerus, and into both of their shoulders.

"Hah!" Character cried out, throwing their arms out and making Chara flip back off of them. From Character's arms ink swung, swiping through the air just over Chara's head as they dropped back to the ground, quickly darting forward just as the fusion cocked back their hand, knife appearing in their grasp.

The two colliding titans slashed at the same time, and the collision of their blades sent a red wave of force exploding out around the two of them. That didn't deter either of them however, and Character was quick to savagely yank back their knife, roaring their battle cry and unleashing a barrage of savage cuts and stabs.

Chara never flinched however. They never ducked, nor did they dodge. With expert skill they weaved their blade to and fro, deflecting each rabid strike like Character's attacks were child's play. Then, with extra power they knocked the fusion's blade up into the air, Character's eyes snapping open wide as they were forced to stumble back, wide open with one hand high above their head.

With lightning quickness Chara ducked down under the ink that fired over the fusion's shoulder at their head, holding their blade out to the side and spinning swiftly. They tore through Character's abdomen, sending a red streak spattering across the ground while they were busy spinning all the way through and slashing upwards. Like a hot knife through butter their crimson blade sliced Character's knife wielding arm off at the elbow.

Shrunken pupils in wide eyes, Character was frozen as pain struck them in an instant, their opponent's speed leaving them completely bewildered. Chara didn't waste any time though, instantly jumping up and pulling both knees to their chest, Character barely having enough time to look them in the eye before they shotgunned a kick into the fusion's face, sending them launching back through the air head first.

Chara used this kick to springboard off Character's face, jumping into the sky where their severed arm still flew and flipping over it in air, swiping Character's knife from the hand's cold dead fingers before dropping back to the earth. Elegantly they landed, planting one foot in front of the other and holding their weapons in an X over their chest. Then, they flicked both blades out to their sides, and red light flashed up their newly acquired knife, quickly forming the same DETERMINED sword that they held in their other hand.

Meanwhile, Character was crashing head first into the charred dirt, momentum forcing their prone body to perform backwards summer-salts until they finally caught themself on their knees. Their head swung back some, but they stopped themself mid backwards lean and managed to lurch forward, crashing their forehead into the ground and sending cracks splitting the dry dirt.

"Damn it..! Damn it..!" The fusion snarled through grinding jaws, gripping the stump of their right arm as it misted red, flesh beginning to bubble out of their wound and start to morph into the shape of another forearm to replace the one Chara had chopped off. "We're supposed to be unstoppable..! This shouldn't be happening!"

They lifted their enraged eyes to Chara, who sauntered through the valley of shadow and death ever closer, blades shimmering vermilion carnage. Wrathfully Character's eye twitched, and in a tantrum they threw their remaining arm up over their head, crashing their fist down into the earth and sending a wave of pens exploding up through the ground, racing towards Chara and sending vicious rumbles through the crater in which they stood.

Chara didn't hesitate, instead picking up their speed and racing to meet this wave of pointed doom. Just before they collided with Character's attack however, they kicked off the ground, launching themself over the wave. Then, once they were in the air, their scarlet wings beat powerfully, firing them like a bullet and once more shutting the distance between themself and their enemy in another stunning display of speed.

Character hardly even had time to recoil as Chara sailed over their head, only leaving two scarlet slashes through each of their shoulders in their wake. As Chara landed behind Character, they skidded rapidly on the burnt floor of the crater, spinning on their feet to face Character's back as their sliding gradually slowed.

"G-ghh..!" Character's eyes were wide and bloodshot, their teeth grinding together as they choked down an agonized scream. Slowly, their arms slipped away from their shoulders, blood beginning to overflow down their sides. They trembled, then they writhed, and finally, they threw their head back and they screamed. Their shouts echoed high into the sky, rained down on the ruined city below.

"..." Chara didn't show any response to Character's anguished screams, a deep frown settled into their face as they began to walk back towards the screeching fusion. Their knuckles were white around the handles of their blades, and each step closer to the enemy crackled with electricity.

Character gasped for air, eyes entirely white as iced sweat ran in streams down their face. But just as they filled their lungs and prepared to scream again, pain pierced between their shoulder blades, stabbing out from just below their diaphragm.

"... This is just sad." Chara had hate on their tongue as they stood behind Character, holding one blade upside down. The crackling energy of their sword had stabbed down between Character's shoulders and exited from their abdomen, and they held their second blade at the edge of the fusion's neck. "What kind of bad guy sits there crying in the middle of a fight?"

"..." Character didn't speak, just hanging their head forward. Their hair dropped over their face, obscuring it from the world.

"You must be confused, right?" Chara narrowed their eyes at the back of Character's head, the flame flickering over their right burning brighter. "After all, according to _you_ , I'm the sidekick, right?"

The fusion still didn't speak. A low growl left their throat, and they twitched with some life. On the ground below where their head hung low, black droplets landed.

"It's not _me_ who hulks up, right?" Chara's lips curled further down in their frown, reserved fury in their tone. " _I_ don't grow wings, _I_ don't take peoples arms. That's what you said, isn't it?"

"... Y-you... You cheated..." Slowly, Character's neck creaked, and they turned their head just to glare over their shoulder at their foe. "If it wasn't for those stupid geezers and that dome, we'd still have the strength to rip you limb from limb..!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Chara asked with venom dripping off their tongue. "It's not just me you're fighting. Everyone sacrificed so much to get us here."

"Their bodies."

 _"HEY!"_

 _Character's brows furrowed as a shout reached over Chara's tortured howls, and they let up the pressure to get them to quiet down while they searched for the voice's source. Chara's screams became sharp gasps and silent whimpers, and Character's eyes locked on to their new target._

 _Chest lifting up and down with each furious breath, Cter stood before the mound of ruble he'd crawled from. Red steamed from from between his bared teeth, several streams of blood trickling from his hairline over his face and giving him a crimson mask. His clothes were in tatters, one of his pant legs missing from the knee down. His hoodie was missing, along with the right sleeve, shoulder and half the chest of his T shirt. Wherever skin was exposed one would find cuts that ranged from scrapes to gashes, each one smoking DETERMINATION and coating him in scarlet mist._

 _"Get the fuck off my Chara." He ordered first, pointing to them before pointing to the ground at his feet. "Then get the fuck over here so I can rip your arms off and beat you to death with them."_

"Their hopes."

 _"Wait, Future, you can't!" Chara objected, sitting up some and looking up to the king with desperation in their eyes. "If you fire while they're right there with Character, then-!"_

 _Future let his harsh gaze drop down to meet Chara's for a moment, and it made their words stop halfway out of their mouth. They could see it in his eyes. This decision hurt him more than either Cter or Chara could fathom, but he had steeled himself. It was his Kingdom or F Chara, and with that crown gleaming atop his head, he picked the greater good. So he dug deep, gathered all of his DETERMINATION, and threw his open palm out towards the enemy to grant the martyr's final wish._

"... Their lives."

 _"Don't you get it?!" There was panic in the fusion's voice as they attempted to look back at the one restraining them. "If you keep holding us here you'll die with us!"_

 _"Heh." F Chara just smirked with calm that chilled Character's bones, lowering their head and shutting their eyes. "Whatever."_

"If it wasn't for the work they put in... The things they sacrificed, the resolve they showed, everything they said." Chara's jaw clenched, their grip tightening around their blades while another surge of electricity crackled off of them. "We would have never gotten here, Character."

"It's not... Fair..!" Character continued to object, and Chara could see the black sludge starting to overflow from between their grinding teeth.

"It was their will that made me push to get stronger!" Chara snarled, twisting their blade harshly in Character's back to shut them up. "And it was their will that made you weak!"

"Ack..!" The fusion hacked up a glob of blood and sludge as Chara twisted their sword, but their glare never faltered. "It's not fair..! It should be us..!"

"What?" Chara asked harshly, squinting their eyes with some curiosity as they watched dark, bitter tears begin to overflow from Character's scarlet orbs.

"Everything..! We gave up everything to be stronger!" Character snarled, red mist starting to spill out from their bleeding shoulders. On their chest a bright red soul was pulsating. "Friends, family! Broken bodies we stacked just to get this high!"

Chara's narrowed eyes darted from side to side to keep watch over their surroundings. They could feel it, the ground was beginning to vibrate.

"You don't deserve those wings!" Flames flickered over Character's furious eye as they glared up at Chara, their pupils shrunken and trembling in the ever blackening whites of their eyes. "None of you deserve what you have! It should be us! It always should have been us!"

"Being selfish doesn't take strength. Hurting others doesn't mean you're powerful." Chara spoke coldly, drawing their blade away from Character's neck and holding it back, preparing to swing and part their head from their shoulders. "Change is what requires power! Working hard every day to be a better person is what makes you stronger!"

"But you refused to understand that!" Chara snarled, bolts of red lightning firing off their blade as they prepared to swing. "And that's why you're gonna lose!"

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Character shouted furiously, hair shadowing their eyes as they lurched forward. Their frustration exploded over, so they yelled at the top of their lungs. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Chara's eyes widened with Character's desperate scream, and as the earth shattered around them, they moved quickly. They jumped back and their wings flapped, removing their blade from Character as pen spikes blasted up around them. From the air they watched the fusion skewer themself on their own pens. Viciously the spears had ripped through the dirt, punching right through Character's body from several different angles and sending red and black spewing over the shattered dirt.

"..." Silently Chara landed, the world once more going quiet as the fusion's body went limp, impaled on their own attack. Their own spite and hubris had ripped them apart, literally and metaphorically. Now Chara stared at their mangled corpse, and they had a moment to contemplate. This was the second time today they'd seen themself die, after all. That was something to take in.

Movement.

Chara's eyes were quick to focus back in however, when they noticed ink was flowing steadily out of each of the pens surrounding Character's shattered body. In streams the dark fluid ran over their body, matching perfectly with the hateful black sludge that oozed out of their mouth, eyes, and nose. Red lights were beginning to flicker on across the corpse while the ink slipped in through every bubbling cut and gash.

In awe and disgust Chara watched Character disappear silently into the vantablack. An orb of darkness quickly formed over the fusion, its insides occasionally flickering with red lights.

As the air pressurized, Chara clenched their jaw, lowering back into a fighting stance and holding their blades in an X in front of them. Then, in the next instant, a shock wave of force blasted out around the shimmering black bubble, sending pen shards exploding through the air around it. The ink subsided, starting to filter and collapse within on itself until the bubble had completely faded, and Character was standing once more.

"Hah... Hah..." They panted like a rabid animal, their eyes entirely white while ink reached down around their cheeks, fish hooking on the insides of their mouth and matching the black sludge dripping down their chin perfectly. From their shoulders massive dark arms hung, their forms writhing with the ink that composed them. "Kill... Kill..!"

"... You're a monster." Chara stated with plain contempt, narrowing their crimson orbs while flames flickered and waved over their right eye.

"We're STRONGER!" Character corrected viciously, throwing those over sized arms back and whipping them forward. As they launched across the scorched plains to meet Chara, they split into a hundred different points.

The Ascended Heir fired forward to meet this challenge, swiftly slashing through the black spears and racing closer to their destination. As they lunged over a spike's brutal stab, however, the black stream at their side parted, and their eyes darted to that side, widening as they spotted the massive eraser firing right at them.

Chara was quick to shift their positioning, holding their blades up in an X and grinding their teeth as the pillar collided with their swords, sending them launching back through the air and away from Character.

They landed on their feet, flipping their blades down and stabbing them into the earth to help them skid to a stop faster. The moment their momentum came to an end, they ripped their swords out of the ground and launched themself forward on their fast feet once more. They ran low to the ground, weapons pointing out to their sides. Character stomped their foot however, sending pens bursting out from the ground in a line to meet Chara, who's wings beat, launching them over the pens.

Once in air Chara spun vertically, rapidly picking up speed as they descended on Character, who was firing one of their massive ink arms up to meet them. By the time the squirming black arm reached them however, they looked less like a person and more like a buzz saw, and in a red flash they ripped and shredded right down the arm.

Clumsily Character stumbled to the side as Chara smashed down next to them, the ground cracking under them as they were forced to crouch from the momentum behind their impact. They barely had time to turn their head and shoot the fusion a glare before pens fired up under them, and they jumped, flipping over Character and landing behind them.

Swiftly the Ascended Heir yanked back both blades stabbing mercilessly through each of Character's shoulders and forcing the fusion to stumble forward. Before they could admire their handiwork however, the skin on Character's back bubbled and pulsed, and they jumped back just as more dark sludge exploded free from the fusion, firing after Chara in gnarled spikes.

Rapidly Chara slashed points away as they landed and slid backwards, before bending their knees slightly as soon as they got their footing. Just as ink curled and pointed above them, looming from above, Chara's wings beat, and the ground shattered under them as they almost seemed to disappear in a flash of red lightning, racing to the side and dodging the spikes before firing in a zig-zag pattern towards Character's still turned back.

The fusion lifted both massive arms into the air however, slamming them down into the ground before Chara could reach them and sending themself blasting high into the sky on rising pillars of dark fluid just as Chara sliced through the air where they once were.

The Ascended Heir turned quickly, getting eyes on Character while the fusion rose higher and higher into the sky. Before they even stopped sliding along the dirt their wings flapped, sending dust blasting out around them and launching them into the air after Character, who was blotting out the sky behind them with hundreds of mechanical pencils and paper airplanes.

Chara darted to and fro as they flew higher and higher, darting between the razor sharp edges of paper airplanes and the brutal piercing of the graphite bars firing down towards them. When they didn't have time to dodge they cut through whatever was before them, and soon they'd reached Character. They swung their legs up as they approached, smashing both feet into the fusion's chest and sending them firing back across the sky with a hellacious drop kick.

Character flipped and flailed through the air, sailing out from above the craters and once more into the territory of skyscrapers. Quickly their ink arms flung out, hooking their fingers into two different sky scrapers on opposite sides of the street below. They stretched backwards on those arms, and their glare settled on the rapidly approaching Chara before they slingshot themself across the sky, racing to meet the opponent flying ever closer.

Chara stabbed in an X through both sides of Character's chest as the two collided, snarling while they planted a foot in the fusion's chest. Just as they tore their blades free however, Character's jaws snapped open, and they were forced to duck back, a spike of black firing up from the fusion's throat and nearly decapitating them. They kicked off of Character, back flipping and slashing away the spike that curved down to take a second stab at them.

Gravity got a hold of the two of them, and they descended rapidly. Chara's wings flapped to catch them some, and they landed with ease on the concrete below. Character was not so skillful however, crashing haphazardly through the tar of the street and sending smoke blasting up around themself.

Chara barely had time to square their footing and get back into their stance before Character's arms grabbed the edge of the crater their drop had created, and they once more threw themself forward at the Ascended Heir, launching into the air and yanking one massive arm over their head as they dropped down towards Chara.

Chara side stepped the brutal swing of that arm as Character crashed back down to the earth, flipping over top of it when Character swung it across the ground at them, ripping up the tar of the road. As they landed on their feet at the other side of the arm, they stepped forward and slashed mercilessly across Character's chest, sending red blood and black tar flicking across the road. As the fusion was sent stumbling Chara took another step forward, spinning through with their slash and flipping one of their blades around so it's point face downward, stabbing backwards and sending their sword ripping a hole right through Character's solar plexus.

Character stumbled back when DETERMINATION coated steel pierced their body, their arms and head dropping limp as the ground rumbled violently beneath them, giving Chara the cue to dive away from them and high into the air with the flap of their wings. A split second too late pens shot straight up from the earth around Character, but as Chara ascended, ink fired from the utensil's tips, stabbing up into the sky after them.

Chara growled with frustration, looking over their shoulder at the rapidly approaching spears and quickly flapping their wings again, launching them higher into the air while they spun in a corkscrew away from the spikes stabbing up at them. As they reached the height of one of the skyscrapers looming above, they front flipped and landed upon its flat roof, swiftly spinning around as those spikes curved downward to meet them.

Chara took up their stance once more, narrowing their eyes at the approaching points while their scarlet aura flared around them, sending volts of electricity firing off into the air around them. With skill and precision they swiped and slashed away each spear, sending droplets of black flinging through the air pathetically until there wasn't a single point left.

Chara exhaled slowly to calm themself, shutting their eyes for only a moment. When they next opened them, they spotted the wall of shining lights that had formed in the sky above, and their frown deepened, grip tightening on their swords in the face of this wave of Beat Blasters.

Fearlessly they ran forward across the rooftop, before diving over its edge just as white hot fire began to rain down towards them. Their wings beat with DETERMINATION, launching them higher as they fired through the sky, red lightning piercing the thunder of Character's blasters.

Then, in a red flash, they were coming out of the other side of the Blaster wall, shadow obscuring all of their face except for that inferno of a right eye. In the next instant, the slashes in those blasters became clear, and they each exploded in magic flames and smoke, sending gears and barrel chunks raining down from above.

With frustration Character screamed, throwing both of those disgusting ink arms up towards Chara as the Ascended Heir raced down from above towards them. The black fluid split and curled into thousands of different points, some massive and others thin.

Elegantly Chara landed on their feet on one massive pillar of ink, holding one blade in front of them and the other behind them as they surfed down towards Character, cutting away any smaller spikes that fired up towards them. When they spotted another pillar of an ink spike racing up to meet them, they jumped from the one they'd been skidding along and once more got into a vertical spin. Vermilion aura shun brightly around them as they became that red saw blade once more.

Streams of ink spewed out around them as they tore right through Character's desperate attack, and when they crashed down into a crouched position right in front of the fusion, the force of their impact shattered the ground beneath the two and forced Character to stumble back, eyes wide in horror.

Jaw clenched in a snarl, Chara lifted their head, letting their burning, wrathful eye land upon the terrified fusion as everything seemed to slow around the two. But then, suddenly, things sped back up, and Chara was standing, both blades held high in the air and red cuts blasting through the inky shoulders of Character's fake arms. A split second later more red cuts carved through the ink that surrounded Character's actual arms, and then the black fluid exploded out into black droplets, revealing the bare, cut up arms beneath and leaving Character defenseless and reeling.

Chara didn't stop there however. They took a step forward, pulled back both of their blades, and with a savage battle cry they unleashed a barrage of stabs, cuts, and slices on the opponent. Character's body was rag dolled back and forth, stumbling back while Chara continued forward, never letting up their assault. Gash after gash appeared along the fusion's flesh, blood and black goo splattering along the destroyed concrete at the two's feet as Chara shredded Character's flesh with their vengeful swords.

Character took one final step back, leaning their head back and staring into the sky with their wide, pupiless eyes as they hacked blood into the air, red already streaming with the black down their chin. Chara took this opportunity to cock back one leg and swing it upwards into Character's chin, slamming the fusion with an uppercut kick and sending their beaten and broken body rocketing up into the air.

Chara watched them ascend with narrowed eyes for a moment, before they bent at the knees and their wings flapped, sending them firing up after the fusion. In a red flash they shot by Character, sending a splatter of their crimson colors flicking through the air. In the sky Chara flipped, landing on the side of one of the two sky scrapers Character flew upwards between before darting across to slash the fusion once more, sending their body jerking to one side but only hastening their ascension, beating them higher and higher into the sky as they darted back and forth between the two buildings. They were a scarlet bolt, firing through Character over and over in diagonal strikes.

Eventually, the fusion reached above the buildings, and Chara dove from one of the rooftops, launching over Character and spinning downward. As they raced to meet the culmination of their worst self, they brought up one leg, and with one savage roar they crashed a brutal ax kick directly into Character's face.

For just a split second, it seemed time had stopped, suspending the two opposing forces there in the sky. But then, the lights flicked back on, and a shock wave boomed out around Chara from the force of their impact, their strike sending Character blasting at sonic speed downward, colliding with the earth in the blink of an eye and sending another wave of force exploding out around them. The concrete shattered to pebbles, a crater blasting out into the ground instantaneously as power rumbled through the earth.

Character laid limp and lifeless in their crater as Chara landed on the rooftop of one of the skyscrapers that loomed above, staring down at their fallen opponent from the high ground. They narrowed their eyes, watching Character's body twitch and tremble in poor attempts to move. Slowly and calmly Chara exhaled, and as they straightened their blades at their sides, the music faded out.

They considered what this meant, to have gained this power. To be faced with this decision. To take a life once more. Could murder be justified? Did even someone as horrible as Character have a right to live?

 ** _"Then are you sure you want to catch up with me to kill me, and not to protect me?"_**

 _... Cter._ Chara slowly shut their eyes, steadying their breathing. _I'm sorry, I didn't have an answer to that question then. I didn't understand what strength could really be beyond evil._

 ** _"... Keep fighting for the future you want to see, Chara. I know you'll be amazing."_**

 _... But I get it now._ Chara's eyes opened, once more focusing in on Character. The fusion had barely managed to prop themself up on their elbows, and was glaring right up at the Ascended Heir, blood staining their face in all sorts of ways. _I know I can do the right thing with this power, and I know the answer to your question._

 ** _"I THINK YOU'RE AMAZING!"_**

 _Character is a threat to you. To everyone._ Chara's jaw clenched as they held their blades straight out to their sides, and electricity crackled up and down the crimson steel of each of the weapons. _That's why I had to get stronger! That's why I'm here!_

Expression turning to a snarl, Chara brought back both of their swords, the fire in their eye crackling wildly as power surged through them.

 _TO PROTECT YOU!_

With a primal roar Chara slashed forward in an X, and the red energy fired from their blades, blasting down from above and towards the defenseless Character in massive scarlet streaks. But Chara didn't stop there. Instead, they pulled both swords above their head, cocking them back as their body tensed once more. Power crackled in the form of electricity between their flaring edges, and they carved downwards, once more sending two streaks of crimson blasting down towards the malicious fusion below.

Eyes wide in shock, Character could do nothing but stare in awe as Chara's final strike blasted into them. The first strikes smashed into them, making them roar with agony as the searing DETERMINATION pinned them to the earth, crashing down on them with force the likes of which they'd never felt before. And as they screamed and writhed under the first strikes, the second crashed down into the first, sending a gust of power blasting up from the crater with tremendous force.

Then, suddenly, the DETERMINATION of the slashes exploded, drowning out Character's screeches with the boom of their blast. A destructive red pillar blasted high into the sky, flaring and crackling with power. Character was completely engulfed, disappearing into the merciless vermilion light.

Silently Chara watched that explosion of their own power blast high into the sky, it's light reflecting in their eyes. Their expression was solemn as the light gradually faded. It was strange, this feeling. It was the first time in a long time that killing didn't give them some sick rush, but they were thankful that it didn't. It put them at peace to know that Character's death saddened them, even if they had hated the fusion.

After all, Hacker and Demon were a Cter and a Chara. they could have been amazing too, if only they'd tried to change. If only they'd understood like Chara had come to understand. But it was too late for that, and that's why Chara knew killing them was the right thing to do.

So, as they stared down at the scorched crater where Character once was, the fire on their right eye flickered out. Their wings retracted back into their shoulder blades, and the crimson light disappeared from their weapons, swords becoming knives once more.

Chara took one last look at the devastation their battle had caused, before shutting their eyes and taking a deep breath. And then, they turned around. It was over. It was time to go home.

* * *

"... Eugh..."

Slowly, the lights began to flick back on in my brain, and my eyes struggled open while a groan crept up out of my throat. Immediately I was reminded just how much being conscious hurt right now, my body still far from responsive as my eyes scanned the area.

I was right where I'd passed out, but now I was alone. Things were quiet, the dirt had all settled in the crater. As I pushed myself up on one elbow, I was a little confused when I saw that Future was no longer out cold across from me. But, when I looked around some more, I spotted him. And it made my heart sink.

In the distance I could just barely make him out. At the center of the massive crater ahead of the one I laid in, he was kneeling. And in his arms he was holding someone. Or, whatever was left of someone.

 _"Thanks Angel, you really are too KIND."_

... It was my fault. F Chara died because of me. My KINDNESS, my MERCY. This city was in rubble and someone was dead and it was because I was a coward and an idiot. And that was a heavy weight. I'd thought I was better now, was all. I thought I was a better person for avoiding murder. I thought... I dunno, maybe saving Hacker would prove to me that I was saved, too.

... But Hacker was too far gone. And Future had relapsed to his old ways, leaving his life in shambles.

... So where did that leave me..?

Before I could sink any deeper however, light wing beats entered my ears, and my attention was drawn back to reality. I looked upwards, my eyebrows rising with some surprise as Chara landed before me. Something about seeing them made my mood lighten, and despite the devastation that surrounded us, we both managed a smile when we saw each other.

"... So?" I finally spoke, already knowing the answer to my question. "Did'ja win?"

"Pretty sure I turned 'em into into a black smug on the pavement." Chara smirked some while they leaned down, not hesitating to take me by the arm and gradually help me to my feet. When it became apparent that I wouldn't be able to support my own weight at all, however, they didn't hesitate to lift me onto their back without much of a struggle.

"Ehehe... Thanks." I laughed a little awkwardly as Chara began walking forward across the craters, a light pink shade appearing on my cheeks.

"... It's really me who should be thanking you." Chara spoke after a pause, not taking their eyes off of the distant Future's back. "If you hadn't said what you said, then..."

"Is that really all it took, one compliment?" I asked playfully, arching one brow tiredly. "You must be real appreciation-deprived."

"Very funny." Chara rolled their eyes, but they were smiling a little. I thought it was a good look for them. "But no, your words were more... The straw that broke the camel's back, if that makes sense."

"Being in a do or die situation, seeing my worst self sacrifice themself to do the right thing, hearing how much you believed in me..." Chara looked to the ground thoughtfully as they reminisced. "... It all just kinda... Boiled over. Exploded."

"Well congratulations, you n' me are _both_ Super Saiyans now!" I put on a tired grin with my joke, and I was glad to hear them scoff with some amusement.

"We'll have to fight some time to see which one of us is stronger." Chara smirked a little as they glanced up at me, but I just gave a tired smile, shutting my eyes and resting my chin on their shoulder.

"Just gimme a month to hibernate after today." I yawned after I spoke, hair drooping down over my face. "Then, it's a date."

"I'm gonna hold you to that." Chara looked back ahead as they spoke, that smirk remaining for another moment or two. But then, the more they thought, the quicker it disappeared. Soon enough, it looked as though they had a question for me on their mind.

But, unfortunately, before they could ask me, we had reached Future.

Seeing the king on his knees with his back to us was a humbling sight, especially after witnessing all seven Halos of his wrath and the utter devastation that they brought. But now he no longer appeared holy. Now he was a shattered man, clutching a burnt corpse woefully to his chest.

For having been at the epicenter of Future's Beat Dome, F Chara's body was surprisingly recognizable. I guessed that that made sense, figuring they'd made sure Character took the brunt of the strike. Everything below each of their elbows was charred to blackened bone however, and everything below their knees didn't seem to be in much better condition. Throughout their abdomen burnt holes pierced right through them, and on the side of their face was a single blackened spot.

And yet, in spite of all the horrible injuries that had taken their life from them and all the pain they must have been in, on F Chara's singed and blood stained face was a smile. And somehow, despite the wreckage of their body, that made them look like they were at peace.

"... Future..." I finally managed to speak, my face twisting with the pain of empathy. I couldn't imagine what it felt like, how lonely it must have been for him. All I could manage to do was shake my head slowly and choke out a few words. "... I'm, so sorry-"

"Don't." A powerful command left the monarch's throat in the wreckage of his kingdom, and instantly I was silenced. He did not lift his head, no doubt weighed down by the crown atop his skull. "Just... Not now. Please..."

"... Gotcha..." Was the only response I could give, nodding my head slowly even though I knew he wouldn't look my way.

"We can... Come back..?" Chara timidly suggested, grimacing some from the weight Future's presence sent crashing down upon us. "To... Help you rebuild, I mean."

"... Don't call me. I'll call you." Future spoke after an uncomfortably long silence. His voice was low, weak. But Chara and I understood what he meant.

Time is what the king needed. He wasn't rejecting our offer, nor was he scorning the help we'd provided him in dealing with Hacker and Demon. He was just unable to focus on anything but what he'd lost at the moment.

So, silently, Chara turned around. But, before they could start to walk away, they found themself pausing. I wasn't sure why, until they finally spoke again.

"... Good luck, Future."

And then whatever duty that'd been restricting them was fulfilled, and they continued onward with me in tow.

Things were quiet between the two of us, somber. We'd beaten Character, but this didn't feel much like a victory for either of us. certainly not for the devastated timeline we were wandering through. And yet, the clouds were parting just slightly, and a few wayward sunbeams were shimmering down from above. And I had to hope that meant something. _Anything_.

"... Hey, Cter?"

At the sound of Chara's voice I perked up some, blinking my exhausted eyes a few times before I looked down at them. "Yeah..? What's up?"

"I'm, uh..." Chara's eyes darted to the side nervously, and they awkwardly reached up, scratching their cheek with one finger. It was more than obvious that these words were hard for them to get out, which made me wonder what would be important enough to make Chara this timid. "... Female. Biologically, I mean."

My eyes went wide, instantly caught very off guard by this oddly timed news. That was about the last thing I'd expected to come out of their mouth, so I was jarred pretty heavily by this news. Even so, I quickly attempted to gather up all my thoughts and form a caring and composed response, figuring something like this was probably a delicate topic.

"... Huh."

*Nailed it.

"U-um, shit, sorry!" I quickly backtracked just one word in, my eyes widening as my face turned a light shade of red, embarrassed by my verbal fumbling. "I don't mean to sound disinterested! I'm, just, uhh... A little caught off guard..?"

*Surprisingly honest.

"Heh. That's alright." Chara smiled a little, not seeming to mind my foot-in-mouth disorder. "It was a pretty random thing to drop on you."

"It's just, not really something I ever thought about, I guess." I relaxed some with Chara's casual tone, the embarrassed shade disappearing from my face. "You didn't seem to wanna be either, so I thought you weren't either and my brain left it at that."

"So you forgot I literally _had_ to be one or the other physically?" Chara smirked just a little, clearly amused by how little thought I'd put into the subject. I think it may have put them at ease in a way.

"More or less." I gave a casual shrug, eyes drifting up to the sky above. "I mean, in a world with chubby telekinetic skeletons, fish women that can breath on land, and some dude who can grow functional wings made out of ink, I think someone born without a gender is _far_ from the most absurd thing that would exist."

"I guess you've got a point there." Chara shrugged as well, tilting their head some as they stared ahead.

"... So, I'm glad you trusted me enough to share that with me, but I _am_ kinda confused." I continued to speak honestly with surprising ease, turning my head back down to furrow my eyebrows at them. "Like you said, this is kind of a random thing to bring up."

"... You trusted me with a lot today." Chara spoke after a long pause, staring thoughtfully into the distance. "I, thought I should trust you with something that I felt was important, too."

"..." I smiled just a little at that, something about their words making me feel nice. I found it hard to think of myself as trustworthy half the time, so to hear that someone else really felt they could tell me something so important. "Well... Do you want me to start using different pronouns, or are you good with what I use now?"

"... Nah, I think I'm happy the way I am now." Chara said after mulling over my question for a second or two. "I just thought you should know."

"... And, I guess it's just something that was on my mind." Chara spoke after another moment, lifting their head some to peer up at the few rays of light in the sky. "Earlier, when I was out cold... It was like I took a walk through my whole childhood. Future me was there too."

"Oh?" I widened my eyes with some surprise when I heard that, likening their experience to my own. I started to wonder if coming to an understanding with your past was a prerequisite for ascension.

"... When you got your wings." Chara spoke after another pause, eyes narrowing into the clouds. "Did you see anything like that?"

"..." My eyes narrowed a little painfully as my thought were drawn back to that day. I remembered him clearly, the little boy wearing that bittersweet smile as he held the bell out for me to take. The happy and yet sad feeling of ascending through the smog and leaving that life behind still caused an ache inside, and the recent knowledge Character had given me only made that ache grow in different ways. "... Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"When I went through the past, my future self was there with me. It was strange, but... Having them there helped me a lot." Chara frowned some. I could see that it hurt, knowing now what F Chara had done just to give them a chance. It hurt me too, even though I hadn't expected it to. I had misjudged them, I had been cruel. Now they were dead because of me, and I'd never get the chance to apologize for any of it.

"Was anyone there with you? For whatever you saw?"

That question shook me out of my thoughts.

 _"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."_

Suddenly, I was pale in the face. My heart dropped right into my stomach. I couldn't escape it, the tearing anxiety that sent shivers through my body and panic into my soul.

"Cter?"

Everything I'd built up over the past six months was at stake if what Character said was true, and what reason would they have had to lie? If my secret got out, and everyone knew what I really did, then..!

"Cter..?"

There was no way they'd see me the same way. There's no way they'd trust me anymore. Everything... I would lose everything!

"Cter!"

"Ah!" My eyes focused back in as I recoiled from Chara's voice, heart racing in my chest to begin pumping my momentarily frozen blood again. "Huh?! Yeah?! What?!"

"You falling asleep up there or what?" Chara cocked a brow up at me, confusion clear on their face along with a few specks of worry. "Did you hear my question?"

"Uh, yeah... I, yeah..." Gradually I relaxed, letting my arms dangle limply while I once more rested my chin tiredly on their shoulder. "Yeah, there was... There was somebody with me..."

"Really? Who?"

"..." I let my tired eyes drift down to the ground at my side before I answered. I could see him there, that sweet little kid. Innocently he had reached up, taking hold of my limp hand as he walked along beside us. He turned his head, and those beautiful eyes landed on me. And then he smiled, but the purity of his kindness didn't ever reach my melancholy heart these days.

"... My best friend."

"Monster Kid?" Chara furrowed their brows, clearly not expecting than answer. They must have shrugged it off though, because they didn't press any further. "I guess that makes sense."

"..." I didn't speak, transfixed on the illusion at our side. A ghost, haunting me and me alone. But he wasn't what I was afraid of.

The part of him that survived is what terrified me.

Chara spotted C Frisk then, not paying me much mind anymore and deciding to let me rest. The monochromatic child was standing suddenly about ten feet ahead of us, smiling politely as they opened a portal for us at their side.

It was time to go home.

* * *

"A-agh..."

The light sound of droplets hitting the void's obsidian floor echoed endlessly through the emptiness, and Character dragged one leg behind, their cut up left arm gripping weakly at the stump their right bicep ended in. Blood poured endlessly down their upper body from a hundred and one different lacerations, and their jaw slacked low, scarlet liquid dribbling down from between their bottom row of teeth and over their chin. the only noise other than their dripping blood was the weak, pained gasps for air that echoed unevenly from their dark red maw.

*It's a good thing we managed to slip through that portal just in time. If we hadn't...

"I'm... Startin' to think... I shoulda just let the attack land..." Hacker responded to The Demon in his text box, eyes fluttering to stay open. "Woulda been... Quicker..."

*Don't talk like that! We can still make it out of this!

"... I-I... Can't..." Hacker's trembling pupils lowered to the ground, the light flickering inside them weakly. Then, he winced, and coughed painfully, more red splattering up over his bottom lip and spilling down onto the vantablack floor. "... But... Y-you..."

Before The Hacker could finish his labored sentence, his one good foot slipped on the pool of his own blood, and he hardly flinched at all as he dropped forward. He landed flat on his face, expression unchanging as he bounced once. His body was going numb, he hardly felt a thing.

*Angel!

Panting and wincing, Hacker forced his one remaining arm to move. He reached out with a clammy, shaky hand, opening his palm to the air. In the next instant, The Demon's unresponsive body appeared from his inventory laying there flat on its back with its eyes closed.

*That's a great idea, Angel! If we both move into my body, then we'll survive!

"Just... You..." Hacker spoke quietly, letting his stiffening fingers wrap slowly around the wrist of the lifeless body at his side. "I... Can't... Soul's just... Too weak... I'll shatter the moment... I leave my body..."

*W-what?! Wait, wait! A-angel, there has to be something else we can-!

"No time..." Hacker's eyes threatened to shut, but with all the will he had left he forced them back open. "If my body gives out while you're still here..."

*But if I leave you'll die!

"If you stay we're both gonna die..!" Hacker managed to raise his voice, but it only made him clamp his eyes shut as another violent fit of bloody coughing followed his words.

*B-but... But I... And you...

"Please... I-I already told you..." Hacker's eyes were growing more and more distant with every passing second. "You're... Everything to me..."

*Don't you think the feeling's mutual, you idiot?! I can't just let you die!

"You don't... Have a choice..." Gradually Hacker's eyes were starting to creak shut, the embers of life in his emerald orbs fading away. "... Please..."

STAB.

Hacker's eyes snapped open wide, and life flared once more in those no longer so distant eyes.

"Oh my. It seems my timing couldn't have been better. Another few seconds, and... Well." Gatherer spoke casually as he knelt at the dying fusion's side. In his hand he held some sort of syringe, the needle of which he'd jammed haphazardly into Hacker's back. "Lucky for you this healing magic transfusion should keep you stable for at least another few minutes."

Hacker's eye narrowed up into the smirking face looming over him, feeling no ease despite the further prolonging of his death. With contempt on his tongue, he spoke one word. "... Xander..."

"Aw, you remember me even as a big shot fusion, huh?" The Gatherer responded with that same venom, that devilish smile only growing when he heard Hacker's tone. "Then you've probably got an idea of why I'm here."

Before anymore words could be spoken, a red pulse traveled up Hacker's one remaining arm, exiting through the fingers that were still wrapped tightly around The Demon's unresponsive wrist. After a quick second Demon sprung to life in their own body, jumping right to their feet. They pointed one hand down to The Gatherer, and that revolver appeared in their grasp, barrel to his forehead.

But, before Demon could pull the trigger an orange light entered their eyes, which widened as they glanced down. From Xander's suit sleeve flames had sprouted, morphing into the lithe and nimble shape of a snake and hovering there, it's fangs inches from their throat.

"Put the gun away, dear." Gatherer spoke calmly and smoothly, his unblinking violet eyes locked onto them. There was something hypnotizing about those eyes, but behind that, Demon could see darkness. An intimidating amount, invisible to the untrained eye. It made them hesitate, made icy sweat trickle down their forehead. "I think you'll find me to be preferred as an ally over an enemy."

Demon remained silent and still, breaking eye contact with Gatherer to shoot The Hacker a glance. Hacker nodded slowly, his expression deathly serious. This made Demon grind their teeth together, but begrudgingly they lowered their barrel from Xander's forehead. This made him smile, and he slowly stood, gently removing his syringe from Hacker's back while his serpent of fire dissipated into thin air.

"What do you- Erg..!" Hacker winced some as Demon knelt down, pulling his weak and dying body into their arms protectively while they glared up at this new human. "Want, Gatherer..?! Revenge?!"

"I am not a vengeful man, Angel." The Gatherer responded calmly, straightening his tie casually. "And while you bit my feeding hand - or at least, one of my counterpart's feeding hands - in the past, I'm still happy to come to your aid."

"There's always a catch with you, G..." Hacker spoke in a low growl, squinting suspiciously up at Gatherer. "You've got somethin' to gain outta this."

"... Very well." Gatherer exhaled with some exasperation, closing his eyes momentarily to compose himself before he reopened those purple orbs. "Earlier today, I attended quite a performance. It was eye opening."

"A performance..?" Demon repeated with heavy confusion, furrowing their brows.

"A circus act involving two of the craziest clowns I've ever seen." Despite the silliness of his words, there was a frown growing ever deeper on the face of The Gatherer. "After witnessing them quite literally tear the house down, I was faced with a harsh reality."

"Get to the point, Xander..." Hacker growled, despite how completely non-threatening he was in his current state. "I definitely don't have all day."

"... You saw it today. The Hacker who defeated Error and his Chara who defeated you." Gatherer's eyes narrowed harshly then, and all that charisma disappeared in favor of his foreboding words. "I saw something today too. The devastating force behind The Anarchist."

Hacker and Demon went silent when they heard that. The fear was apparent in the both of their eyes, as it would be in anyone who knew anything in the multiverse upon hearing that name.

"You... You meet The Anarchist and lived..?" Demon spoke skeptically, clutching The Hacker just a little tighter in an attempt to keep him safe.

"Only because he let me." Gatherer's jaw clenched, cold sweat forming on his own brow from such recent memories. "But as he left me and The Predator there, in the wreckage of his presence, he said something. Something that made me realize I needed more powerful allies."

Then, Gatherer took a step forward, and he held out one hand to the two. He stood there, watching them with eyes that were lethal in their precision.

"... A Reunion is on the horizon, Character. And preparations must be made."

* * *

I breathed a sigh of relief, shutting my eyes and relaxing into the couch as Asriel held his glowing green hands over me. I could feel my cuts sealing and my burns... De-burning.

"Wow, a fusion of Hacker and Demon, huh?" Asriel glanced over to the other couch in their Ruins home, which Chara was laying on. They stared straight up at the ceiling with drained eyes. "No wonder you two are so beat up."

"You should see the other guy." I spoke tiredly, lazily lifting my finger in objection before my arm dropped limp onto the couch.

"Well, I've healed as much of you two as I can. You're gonna have to sleep off the rest." Asriel lowered his hands and their glow disappeared. He took a step back, placing his hands on his hips as he looked between Chara and I. I could see both worry and relief in his eyes, before he puffed out one cheek, furrowing his brows in a condescending way. "And I hope this is the end of any and all multiverse shenanigans between the two of you."

"..." I tilted my head back into the couch, my eyes narrowing up at the ceiling from Asriel's words.

 _"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."_

"... Yeah. I hope that too." I spoke, my bitter frown engraved deep in my face. Luckily it was hidden from the angle at which I stared upwards, and by the time I tilted my head back down, I'd slapped on a more jovial mask.

"Welp, much as I'd love to accidentally pass out in my shredded clothes on your couch for eighteen hours, I think I should probably get home." I spoke casually, grunting with exertion as I dug my fingers into the couch to yank my tired body onto achy legs.

Chara looked up when I stood, propping themself up on their elbows and watching me lumber tiredly across the living room.

"Thanks for saving my ass several times today, you two." I forced a smile over my shoulder at the two of them, lifting my hand and giving them a wave.

Asriel returned my wave, grinning lightly. "Good luck explaining things to mom!"

"Thanks." I chuckled, stuffing my hands in my pockets as I looked forward once again. "I'm gonna need it."

 _"And you better believe all three of 'em have had their eye on you."_

Once they couldn't see my face, my expression went lifeless. Hair shadowing my eyes, a frown yanked down the corners of my mouth. I felt cold and empty in a way I had forgotten over my time in this perfect happily ever after of mine. My feet were heavy, but I hoped no one noticed. I wanted to sink into the ground, give in to the gravity that was bearing down upon me.

Fear had made my face go pale, panic and anxiety making even the simplest of motions difficult. But I couldn't show that. I didn't want anyone to know how helpless I felt, how guilty and afraid I was. They'd ask what was wrong, and I wouldn't be able to tell them the truth. I'd have to lie. I have to lie. They can't know the truth. I have to lie.

The door is right there. I can do this, just another few steps. Then I just have to reach out, grab the nob, twist it one way, and then I'll be outside. No one will see how sick I am there. Not until I get home.

... But I'll have to lie more when I get home. Have to tell everyone what happened, where I've been. I'll dance around the fact that my future self abandoned them, and that Chara's future self killed them all. I'll keep from them the destruction my MERCY caused. I'll tell them how great Chara was, how far they've come. It'll be a good thing, it'll be positive so I don't have to be afraid.

 _"And you better believe all three of 'em have had their eye on you."_

So I shouldn't feel so sick.

 _"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."_

I shouldn't be so nauseous.

 ** _"We're gonna get to see each other again!"_**

I shouldn't be about to puke..!

"Hey, uhm... Angel..?"

"Huh?!" I snapped back into reality, jolting up straight as color suddenly returned to the world around me. My head whipped around to spot Chara standing behind me, arching a brow at my jumpy reaction.

"Ehehe... Sorry." I laughed nervously as I turned to face them, keeping one hand on the front door's knob while my other scratched the back of my head. "Just a little out of it, I guess."

 _Oh god, they know! They can see something's up! They're gonna ask what's wrong and I'm not gonna be able to answer! If I lie they're gonna know, they always know!_

"It's alright." They waved a hand dismissively, shaking their head. But then, they paused, and their eyes glossed over to the side. "Uhm, about your birthday party."

 _Huh? Birthday party? Oh, that's right. That's how this all started. I stopped by the other day to invite Chara and Asriel to my birthday party next week._ I relaxed some as I realized Chara hadn't caught on to how awful I felt, the ten tons on my chest dropping down to nine tons instead.

"Yeah, what about it?" I asked calmly and casually, tilting my head to the side and furrowing my brows. Politely I smiled before I next spoke. "I already said I understand if you guys aren't ready for an event like that. It's okay."

"No no, it's not that." Chara said, those ruby orbs locking back on me and catching me somewhat off guard. They kind of bounced their head back and forth, opening their mouth before words had fully formed and just letting their jaw hang for a second or two before the words finally came out. "Look, I, haven't talked to Asriel yet, but... I'll be there."

My eyebrows rose with genuine surprise when I heard that. I was so surprised, so distracted, that the remaining nine of those tons disappeared. It was clear I wasn't ready for this revelation, because I too stumbled over my words and opened my mouth prematurely. Eventually, though, I did manage to get something out.

"O-oh! Uh, really?" For some reason I wanted to conceal just how excited and happy this news made me, like somehow those emotions were embarrassing. That confused me, but then again I also didn't understand just why I was made so happy by this news. Maybe I was proud of them for taking such a big step? But, this didn't much feel like pride. It was like some weird, pleasant mix of anxiety, excitement, and joy. I hadn't really ever felt anything like it before, which was _really_ odd. I thought I'd felt at least something _close_ to every emotion by now, I was gonna be nineteen after all. I've kinda been at it for awhile. "Well, that's great! I'm sure Toriel and Asgore will be really happy to hear that!"

"Ehehe..." Chara blushed just a little, scratching the back of their head and evading eye contact expertly. They were smiling though, and that made me smile. "Y-you uhm, you think so?"

"Everyone will be." My smile grew some. It was genuine, caring. Like I hadn't been on the verge of a panic attack thirty seconds ago.

"... Well, I just wanted to tell you that." Chara looked back to me, that smile still on their face. It was a little nervous, but also a little excited, and a little happy. I wondered if they were feeling that same weird thing I was. I wondered if it confused them as much as it confused me. "Sorry for holding you up, you can get going now."

"No problem." I waved a hand dismissively, opening the door behind myself and taking a step backwards through the frame. "I'll see you at the party, alright? You can show up whenever."

"Sure." They nodded in agreement, that smile never leaving their lips. I turned around after they spoke, taking another step outside and beginning to close the door behind me. Before I could shut that wood between the two of us though, Chara spoke up again. "Oh, and, Cter?"

"Hm?" I arched a brow over my shoulder, pausing right in my tracks at their call. "What's up?"

"Uh, well..." Chara once again looked like they were struggling to get something out. That was common for me and them though, neither of us had learned how to project emotions correctly in these simpler and lighter scenarios. Still though, from behind the half shut door, they did manage to look at me, and a little thing of a smile crossed their lips. It was small, gentle, but in some way it almost felt sweet. "I'm... I'm glad you're not dead."

My eyebrows rose some at that, and I almost recoiled. I wasn't sure why, however. It's not like that was surprising, I knew full well they were glad I wasn't dead. They were the one who saved me, after all. It was such a simple, easy statement, so why did it... Kinda floor me? Was it the way they said it? Was it their expression? Was it the fact that they'd taken the time to tell me? I supposed it didn't matter, and I returned that smile of theirs.

"... I'm glad you aren't dead either, Chara."

The door shut between us, and I slowly took my hand off the knob. Then, I turned around, and I began to walk away from that neat and tidy Ruins home.

It was strange, I thought the moment that interaction was over things would get cold again. That I'd go back to thinking about my past, that little Anthony would weigh on my shoulders once more. But, strangely enough, every time my thoughts wandered from the happier bits of today, they were magnetized right back.

As I made my way through Asriel's garden, I kept envisioning several things. It was always Chara standing tall between me and Character, or maybe when they smiled down at me after their victory, or that memory from two minutes ago of them saying something as little and obvious as "I'm glad you're not dead".

And that weird, anxious-but-happy-but-excited feeling didn't go away. In fact, the closer to home I got and the more time that passed, the stronger it got. The dynamic of it changed, however. The happy part faded and the anxious part grew. And whenever I thought about things like Chara coming to my party, or if I'd end up visiting some time between now and then, the excitement part of it took the lead over the anxiety.

It was a noticeable feeling, but not particularly intense. Just something small, nagging at the back of my head and always dragging my thought back to today. But I didn't get it.

What about this cold, brutal day was so... Warm?

* * *

"My my my..."

Badster tilted his skull at an awkward angle, a hand appearing under his head only to hold his chin thoughtfully. His actual hands were busy flicking through code, digits twisting digits and forcing several still images to appear in flickering green screens.

They were snapshots of the battle with Character. Things like Future's Beat Dome, Chara's transformation, and that strange burst of power Cter had released when he learned his former gang's true fate.

"You're so very close, Cter The Hacker." Slowly Badster shook his head back and forth, furrowing his brow bones. "Whatever that flash of power was, something tells me it's your only hope of standing toe to toe with The Anarchist."

"... But you're running very low on time." For once the doctor frowned, staring with unshaking focus into that red flared image. Cter was on one knee, hair shadowing his eyes but scarlet light shining through on the left side. In the rubble around him rebar spikes were bending, changing to a bright orange shade from the heat of his DETERMINATION. "You know that now."

Badster turned his head then, looking over his shoulder into the blackness behind him. In the distance, the void's darkness squirmed and writhed. Worm after worm swarmed in one massive orb of terrors, gnashing their and giggling horribly. But from their darkness, vermilion light shun clear. The disgusting worms were madly defending someone, an unbreakable ruby soul. Their master.

In the writhing mass of psychotic abominations, Badster would occasionally get a glimpse of the man that lurked within. At the center of his chaos, The Anarchist sat cross legged, the knuckles of his powerful fists pressed together over his lap. On his chest a crimson soul pulsed with energy, and around him red light shun brightly, scarlet electricity crackling through his aura.

Despite the deranged torrent that surrounded Anarchy however, his eyes were shut. His face showed no grin and no frown, his breathing was slow and steady. He seemed entirely peaceful in a way that Badster had never seen from him before. It was as though the utter lunacy and crackling power around him only soothed his perfectly and beautifully damaged mind.

"... But I'm discrediting someone." Badster looked back to his snapshots of reality, turning his mad gaze to the image of Chara, exploding with electric strength. "... Chara Dreemurr. I never would have thought."

"Even though you are of this world, exposure to the Hacker has made you strong. Stronger than most." Badster tilted his head back, one hand appearing to hold his chin while another appeared to scratch the top of his skull. "For awhile I had written you off as a stepping stone for The Angel, but now... Perhaps you could..."

"..." Badster went silent then, trailing off to further ponder his thoughts in his twisted mind. He removed his hands from the code, and those snapshots disappeared back into the vantablack. Then, he placed both hands behind his back, the others floating around him disappearing while he gradually turned around to watch the writhing mass of Anarchy's presence. And as he looked upon the devastating force of his greatest experiment, that crescent smile shaped his face once more.

 **"... Prepare as you will, Wayward Children. The day for atonement is about to arrive."**

* * *

 **I'm really really excited to see what you guys think! So please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	38. Chapter 38: Ohana Means Family

**Thanks go to Andyfire123, 10burgers, Wingah, Doctah Sawbones, Jack54311, CrystalGamer82, EpicSlayerGuy99, LightYagamitheKira, cagrijan1904, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, Skele, Zack Frost, Genowar, NBoss01, and Acoolnamme.**

 **Acoolnamme, thanks for reading all the way through the original and _still_ having the energy to come read through all of this one! (And also giving me insight on why people read the original still instead of coming right to the rewrite because for the longest time that really confused me lol) I hope you continue to enjoy the story and review! **

**Happy birthday NBoss01! I was almost gonna delay this chapter because I had a lot going on but then I saw your review and realized I can't leave a homie hanging on his birthday so I found the DETERMINATION and the time to finish things! I hope you like the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"What is this?! What's going on?!"

Those were the first words to tumble out of Predator's mouth when she found herself quite literally glued to the edge of her seat in packed stands in some weird ass circus she hadn't remembered buying a ticket to. What she _did_ remember was chilling out in the common area of her super cool base, only to suddenly be falling forty feet through the couch and into some fucked up clown's little show.

"Uhh, boss?"

Predator's head snapped to her side, and she felt some relief when she spotted her right hand man there with her in this strange place. Clover was planted in his seat in the same manner that she was, but that didn't appear to be what distracted him. He didn't look to her, and though his cowboy hat shadowed his eyes like usual, it was apparent he was staring down into the arena below.

"Huh? Wassup, Clover?" Predator furrowed her brows over at him, her anxiety clear in the way icy smog trickled out from between her teeth when she exhaled. "You got any idea what's going on?"

"Can't say I do." A frown curled the JUSTICE soul's lips downward, and he lifted one finger slowly, pointing down to center stage. "But I reckon we got bigger problems."

Predator followed his finger's trajectory, and when her light blue orbs landed upon who he was pointing at, they went wide. Her pupils shrunk, her breath catching in her throat when she saw him. Crowbar in hand, standing from the disgusting worm he sat on like a throne, his bare upper body marked up with a thousand and one scars and that mane of ivory hair running down the back of his neck and over his shoulders. She couldn't see much of his face as she was on his side, but he was unmistakable.

 _"I'm going to make an opening, and you are going to run."_

"A-... Anthony..?"

 **Chapter 38: Ohana Means Family**

 _"We aren't different at all. You're just a better liar than me."_

* * *

"You get to witness a revolution! Uee hee hee!"

 _Grimm/Nightmare King_ by _RetroSpecter_

Emotionless rubies stared at a sky of shimmering diamonds as the wicked jester threw back his hand, summoning one of his four suits in the form of enough murderously sharp gems to blot the nonexistent sun of the void circus. Anarchy didn't seem to pay much mind to this display however, spotlights circling madly as he held out his right arm, his shield appearing on his forearm just as Jevil threw his hand down towards him.

From the heavens Jevil's piercing stones rained, and pathetically they shattered against The Anarchist's shield. Glimmering shards exploded out around him as nothing but his shield stood between him and the downpour of doom. He didn't seem the least bit concerned however, effortlessly waving his free hand upwards, as though he was beckoning something to rise. Adhering to his wishes, the earth shattered apart behind him, and one massive black pincer raced upwards through the skin shredding precipitation, which shattered against the shell covering it's bug-like arm and claw.

"Scary, scary!" Jevil cried with joy as death reached from below to snatch him from the sky, pulling his ax-scythe above his head. Just as the jagged edges of that pincer snapped shut around him however he swung Devilsknife downward, hooking it's point into where the two prongs of the pincer met and yanking himself up above the crashing claw. He front flipped onto it's chitinous arm, landing on his feet and swinging his head forward to shoot a grin down the arm towards The Anarchist, who was quickly running up insectoid limb to meet him.

The two Heirs to Chaos cocked back their respective weapons as they reached each other, and a mad clang resounded when The Anarchist's Inheritance collided with Jevil's Devilsknife. Ruby connected with gold eyes, and the two performers in this circus smirked quite confidently at one another. Then they spun, Anarchy counter clockwise and Jevil clockwise, pulling their weapons apart. Jevil was quicker to swing around, yanking his blade back and sending its edge crashing into Anarchy's shield.

Once more the two locked mad eyes, before The Anarchist shoved Devilsknife off to Jevil's left with his shield, spinning all the way through and swiping at Jevil with the cruel steel of his crowbar, only for the mad clown to jump back out of the strike's reach, laughing gleefully as he dropped down between the prongs of the pincer, which snapped shut at him just a second too late.

Anarchy wasted no time, the pincer opening once more as he ran after Jevil, diving head first through the claws and racing down through the sky after Jevil. He dropped quickly in his nose dive, his crowbar cocked back and ready to strike. The Jester dropped down back first, grinning upwards at his fellow performer as he opened one palm up towards him.

"Now now, Anarchy!" Rapidly magic formed in Jevil's outstretched palm, shaping into a sphere that flashed with power. Inside the sphere was a heart, flickering black and white as the orb launched upwards, racing to meet The Anarchist. "Have a heart!"

Anarchy's only response to Jevil's pun was the vicious swing of his crowbar, crashing steel into this magic sphere as it reached him. This proved to be a poor idea however when the orb exploded on impact, sending white smoke blasting up in a cone and obscuring him from sight. Only for a moment, however, as he exploded free of the dust unphased, making Jevil's star painted eyes go wide.

Swiftly The Anarchist closed the distance between himself and the Jevil, a murderous red gleam shining from his scarlet eyes while shadows poured over the rest of his face. With one hand he reached out towards the jester, his ivory digits inches from his face just before the clown blinked from existence, and Anarchy's hand passed through nothing but air.

The Anarchist landed on his outstretched palm and Jevil appeared across the arena from him, watching as The Bastard Son performed a handspring and front flipped, launching himself foot first at the clown of Chaos' Court. With haste Jevil threw his weapon into the air above him, and just as Anarchy's kick was about to shatter his jaw he disappeared, Anarchy once more striking nothing but air.

Chaos Incarnate landed on both feet, skidding to a stop and lifting his eyes to the scythe-ax dropping towards him from above. Jevil appeared there, gripping the handle of his weapon once more and spinning vertically down towards The Anarchist with it, all the while his mad cackling echoed through the stands.

Anarchy lifted his shield, a metallic clang echoing with the jingles of the bells upon Devilsknife as he effortlessly blocked Jevil's strike. The mad jester didn't stop there however, flipping over Anarchy and landing back to back with him. The two immediately spun around, and with Jevil's slash The Anarchist once more stopped his blade with his shield, shoving it aside and stepping forward to swing his crowbar at his foe.

Jevil was quick to lean back though, Anarchy swinging clear over his head while the jumping jester slipped under his legs, popping up behind him and wrapping both hands around his weapon as he swung around, slashing at the back of Anarchy's head.

Chaos Incarnate was quick to turn however, swiping Jevil's slash back and throwing both of his arms up above his head with one mighty swing of his crowbar before stomping forward with all his weight, crashing a jab directly into Jevil's diaphragm and making those gold eyes snap open wide. Just as he spit up a mouthful of saliva and blood, dust blasted out in a circle around the two, and Jevil was sent launching back across the arena.

As his body was rag dolled however, the mad jester smiled, clutching Devilsknife tightly before he blinked out of sight. Anarchy didn't look particularly phased however, cold eyes peering back over his shoulder to spot Jevil as he reappeared, that same momentum from his punch throwing him towards Anarchy's back.

The giggling clown yanked his ax-scythe back like he was ready to swing for the fences, while Anarchy planted his feet, lifting the sturdy sapphire of his shield and catching Jevil's strike on it without budging in the slightest, stopping Jevil's momentum dead.

Smirking with blood on his chin the jester jumped back, pulling his weapon back in one hand and whipping it towards The Anarchist as he blinked out of reality once more. Anarchy didn't seem bothered however, cocking back his crowbar as the blade spiraled death towards him. Just as he swung to smash the weapon however, it too blinked out of reality.

Quickly Anarchy's eyes darted upwards to Devilsknife as it reappeared, being caught in the grey hands of the Jevil himself, who had also appeared above him. Mercilessly he swung downward, but once again his assault was met with the unbreakable sapphire of Anarchy's shield, and the fearless scarlet of his eyes.

Jevil phased away, and as he began rapidly disappearing and reappearing all throughout the arena, his psychotic giggling echoed with him. With each appearance he threw his now empty hands out in a horizontal line and from his sleeves five spades would fire with lethal precision. Rapidly The Anarchist was being surrounded by pointed death, not so much as flinching as spades closed in towards him. Instead, his eyes were darting to and fro with each and every one of Jevil's teleportations.

As his body was forced to shift and stumble back and forth from the impact of the mad jester's strikes, his muscles never tensed, his expression never tightened. His eyes just continued to follow the Jevil, first being quick to catch him, and then reaching where he would reappear before he had materialized there. After a few more seconds of that, The Anarchist casually tossed his crowbar underhand, sending it spiraling into the air on a forward arch.

Then, he bent at the knees, cocked back his left fist despite the three spades jammed in that arm, and jumped forward. He launched through the air, the ground shattering from the brute force he'd pushed himself from it with. And as he shot ahead like a cannon had fired him, red fire crackled to life up that left arm, the spades jammed in his back, chest and arms all shattered to pieces from the force of his will.

Jevil recoiled when he found himself appearing right in the path of The Anarchist, leaning his head back and snapping his gold eyes open as far as they could go when he saw that burning crimson fist blasting towards him.

Anarchy's knuckles shattered into the nose of that clown with enough force to split a lesser man's skull, but before the terrific force could throw him back into the wall of their arena, Chaos Incarnate grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and the bells on his hat jingled as they were sent whipping back from the gust of wind Anarchy's jab had caused.

With a firm grip on the Jevil's collar, Anarchy yanked him back into a merciless elbow to the same bleeding nose his fist had shattered and throwing his head on a swivel. He let go of Jevil's collar then, swiftly spinning around and making a full rotation, cracking that shield across the jester's cheek and sending him stumbling lifelessly to the side. Those eyes were distant, his brain stuttering from all the sudden head trauma.

The Anarchist took full advantage of Jevil's daze, stopping his rotation with the planting of his foot which he promptly cocked back, swinging forward and sending his toes crashing into the mad clown's abdomen. For just a moment things slowed down, Jevil coughing up a mouthful of blood while he was forced to hunch over Anarchy's shoe, just before the force carried through, and he was sent exploding upwards.

Anarchy tilted his head back, standing still for a moment as he watched Jevil ascend before he bent his knees once more, and once more the ground cracked apart under him from the force of his jump. He dove right up past the Jevil, reaching one hand up and catching his crowbar out of the air just as Jevil rose into range, where he promptly swung down, cracking cold steel over the back of the mad jester's head and sending him blasting down into the dirt below.

Smoke exploded up around the impact, and the more savage members of the crowd broke out in cheers when they saw their captor receive his beating. Anarchy didn't pay them much mind though, slowly descending back to the ground and landing with a quiet thud.

* * *

Gatherer's cold violet eyes narrowed with frustration down at the circus act below. He'd been shocked and aggravated by the sudden teleportation to a tent that vibrated with power and smelled like impending doom.

Xander did his research over the multiverse, he knew full well who that jumpy clown was. With their considerable skill, he'd considered recruiting a Jevil, but he had yet to find one that wouldn't cause him trouble. It was blatantly obvious the one Anarchy had just used to give this circus tent a basement was no exception.

As for The Anarchist, Gatherer knew all too well what _he_ was capable of. When he'd known him as a mortal man, he found everything about Anarchy intimidating. It was why he employed him, he knew someone who radiated such power would be a perfect deterrent to any possible opposition. But now, in this world, Anarchy was no longer a mortal man. In fact, Gatherer hardly an idea just _what_ exactly he was. Other than dangerous, of course.

He'd watched timelines, he'd had informants keep him up to date, and if nothing else, the case of Anthony The Anarchist was a head scratcher to say the least. Unlike most - if not all - of the other DoubleKids, Chaos Incarnate had never received magic. Those worms, that scorpion, even those disgusting giggling faces he blotted out the sky with from time to time had _always_ been with him. That darkness, that madness, that power. It was all his own.

For those reasons Gatherer had steered clear of The Anarchist. He had prayed silently, hoped that he'd never encounter the beast. But there weren't any gods to hear him, the albino eldritch horror Xander watched writhe in the arena below was proof of that.

Surely, no benevolent god would let Anarchy exist.

"So, have you thought of a plan, sir?"

"... Mm." Gatherer brought his thumb to his lips, gently taking one perfectly trimmed nail in his front teeth while he thought. "I think we may just have to wait this one out, Clifford."

"Wait until when?" Cliff turned his head to furrow his brows at his trusted leader.

"Once Anarchy's done playing with Jevil and disposes of him, his magic will disappear, and we will be free." Gatherer lowered his hands, clasping them together over his lap as he anxiously leaned forward to watch more closely. "Then we will make our escape."

"Escape?" Cliff repeated with some confusion, tilting his head while he watched Gatherer with curious orange eyes. "But, Gatherer Sir, wouldn't it be better to take a preemptive strike once he's worn down from this fight?"

"..." Slowly Gatherer's hands tightened their grip on each other, knuckles turning to ivory. Swiftly his imagination drew up that outcome. It sickened him, filled him with dread and worry. But it wasn't his own death he saw, though he was sure that would follow suit.

What he saw was Clifford, crumpled and broken. Torn apart by worms or crushed under the force of The Anarchist's crowbar. Impaled on a Scorpion stinger or ripped apart by the beast's hungry mandibles. These thoughts brought Xander to a shutter, though he hoped Clifford had not seen.

"... Look at him." Gatherer finally spoke up, those purple spheres shimmering with contempt, fear, and a speck of envy. "He's covered in his own blood and he's not even breathing hard."

"..?" Cliff took Gatherer's advice, leaning forward some to get a closer look on the Anarchist. When he realized his boss had spoke the truth, and The Bastard Son was standing effortlessly while he watched the dust settle, his eyes went wide. "W-what? But, how is that..?"

"The people of the multiverse fear Anarchy for a reason." Bitterly the Gatherer frowned, violet eyes narrowing down at the albino he'd once trusted dearly. "In all the devastation I've watched him cause, I'm not sure I've ever seen him break a sweat."

* * *

The music faded out.

"A-agh... H-hee... Hee hee..."

The rubies in Anarchy's eyes narrowed their luster onto the shambling form of the Jevil himself, who had one hand over his ribs while he used his weapon like a walking stick. Despite the pain that must have been racking his body, he was giggling.

"T-this is... How it should be, be." Jevil's mad eyes stared wide at an unphased Anarchist, a smile curling his lips as a black liquid began to trickle down from the corner of his mouth. "You and I..! The two heirs to chaos, CHAOS!"

"Here on the grandest stage, with an absolutely _captivated_ audience!" Jevil threw his arms out to his sides gleefully, though it made him wince and stumble back a step. "One on one, shark to shark! Every last marble at stake!"

Anarchy remained quiet, watching for another second or two before the reaction he had awaited came. Jevil's eyes twitched with pain, before he doubled over, a fit of coughing landing in the clenched fist he held in front of his mouth. After a few moments of sputtering, Jevil's breathing relaxed, and those golden eyes focused in on the hand he'd been hacking into.

Inky darkness trickled over the hand like black water. Vantablack madness spit up from Jevil's throat in that violent fit, and now it painted his palm, dripping like chaos poisoned rain down to the dirt.

"... When the doc screwed with your timeline, he must not have accounted for you." Finally Anarchy spoke, blinking emotionlessly as Jevil managed to lift his head and meet his eyes once more. "He never thought there'd be someone other than me who could drink from The Fountain and live."

Jevil's lips curled up once more, filled with joy to see that Anarchy was putting it together. Shadows slipped over his beady little eyes, leaving nothing but the eerie yellow lights of his pupils to shine through.

"That's why you weren't ERASED. That's how you got your power amplified to the point of truly being able to do anything." At that, Anarchy's lips curled up just a little, and lunacy twinkled in his eyes. "Or, almost anything."

"The one thing you _can't_ do is beat me." A small smirk grew into a grin, and that mad twinkle flared into a crazy flame. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"You never wanted to win this fight, Jevil. This fight only exists because I need some goddamn catharsis after wasting six months on your wily ass." Anarchy flicked his crowbar out to the side, and though his grin remained, his eyes narrowed inquisitively. "No, you want me to win more than anybody."

"Can I really be blamed?" Jevil interjected, his smile widening grossly while madness twinkled with a dark beauty in those eyes. "Just imagine, imagine!"

"A world without kings, without gods! Without Angels, Angels!" Jevil snapped his jaws with berserk glee, speaking with such radical excitement despite the agony that racked his body. "A free, fun, lawless wasteland!"

"I was so excited when my world was shifted and changed! When the knowledge of a boy just as free as me was forced into my brain by your meddling doctor!" Jevil bashed the butt of his weapon into the dirt, creating a crackle of black sparks. "I would never be strong enough to change the infinite multiverse, but _you_ , Anthony? With the right direction, direction!"

"So I drank from your fountain, I took what I could survive and I prepared a game, game!" Jevil planted one hand on his chest even though it made pain surge through his body. "A game where the end doesn't matter, because no matter the outcome I _still_ win!"

Anarchy's grin faded to a more curious expression, and he titled his head slightly to the side to watch the mad jester more closely.

"I knew from what I saw in The Fountain that the crown would entice you, and I knew you needed to forget the sins of order!" Jevil lifted his free hand then, and Anarchy squinted cautiously at the silver crown that appeared in his open palm. "You cannot rule in my paradise, Anarchist! No one may wear a crown in a truly mad world!"

"... Yeah, Aliza helped me figure that out." Anarchy finally spoke again, blinking those cold and indifferent eyes. "Being followed by someone who silently worshiped my every step and firmly believed I was some kind of god made me understand that I didn't want to rule or to be worshiped."

"Chaos has no king, that would defeat the purpose." Anarchy's lips curled up then, ruby never leaving Jevil's gold as the jester dropped that crown. It clanged, rolled to The Anarchist, who stopped it under his foot. "Thanks for teaching me that, Jevil. Being a king woulda been boring anyway."

Then, Jevil watched with wide eyes and an absolutely gleeful smile as Anarchy slowly applied pressure with that foot, and metallic shrieking echoed pathetically before the crown had folded and crumpled under his shoe, reduced to its true form: a worthless chunk of metal.

"Yes, yes! Perfect, perfect!" Excitedly the mad clown bounced back and forth, more and more of Anarchy's darkness running in black streams from between his wide grin. "You're ready now, Anarchy! A worthless boy from the deepest filth this world's chains create! Lay waste to the rules the fearful created, shatter the chains, let us all be free!"

"No kings. No gods. No Angels." Anarchy's expression went dark, any and all light fading from his blood red eyes as his smile shifted to a straight line across his face. "Anarchy."

"Take this and keep playing the game!" Excitedly Jevil held out his Devilsknife, and Anarchy squinted curiously at the weapon being offered to him. He could see black liquid seeping out from Jevil's flesh and filtering into the weapon. "Chaos, chaos!"

"... And what am I s'posed to do with that?" Anarchy cocked a brow from the weapon to Jevil's grinning maw. "Kinda already got a weapon of choice."

"Take this gift from your jester, Chaos Incarnate." Jevil dropped to one knee before The Anarchist, and as darkness continued to seep from him and into his weapon, his body began to fade. "And when years pass, and twilight washes over you, you will have aid against Order's Mad God."

"..." Skeptically The Anarchist reached out, eyes remaining narrowed at the fading devil before him as he wrapped his fingers around Devilsknife. He didn't give thanks but he also didn't object, he just watched as the final obstacle between him and his Angel faded away.

Jevil laughed. He giggled and snickered, he hee'd and he haw'd. As his body faded to the Fountain's darkness, to Anarchy's darkness, he looked completely fulfilled. Soon though, his body disappeared into his gift, and his laughter echoed in ghostly whispers throughout the crowd.

And then, things had gone quiet. Anarchy stood there, at the center of the circus, with Jevil's gift in his hand. He let his eyes gloss over it for a moment or two, before it - along with his shield - disappeared into his inventory.

And there he stood. Bastard Son, Son of a Bitch. Surrounded by every king, every god, every false idol there in his jester's circus. He didn't lift his head, didn't look at them. They were meaningless to him, their faces wouldn't be memorable anyway. To look upon them in all their filth, all their lies and disease would be a waste of effort. But he knew of something worthwhile he could do.

The whole crowd was silent. Tension vibrated the circus, brought the temperature of the room below freezing. And slowly, methodically, The Anarchist rose his left hand up into the air after tossing his crowbar into his right. Without a word he let his wickedness shine, the left side of his soul darkening to vantablack. Then shadows crept out from the dark side of the valentine heart on his chest, streaming up his bare chest and shoulder, swirling and making their way up his bicep and forearm before finally bursting free from his palm.

And when massive worms exploded out from his hand, life returned to the room _immediately_. As gnashing teeth curled carelessly down towards the stands, screams rang out. Bones crunched when poor fools were caught off guard, and when the captives realized Jevil's magic no longer captivated them, they scrambled in terror out of the paths of the hungry, giggling worms.

Laughter from his beasts and screams from his victims made the perfect harmony to Anarchy, who smiled wider than he had in some time as his eyes watched the devastation he caused. It was finally time, and that made him happy. That made him excited. There was nothing to stop him now.

Soon, he would pay his Angel a visit.

* * *

"Shit!" Predator shouted as she flipped back out of her seat and onto the row of stands behind her, watching the head of one onyx worm crash through the row of bleachers she'd just been sat in. It quickly reeled up to look at her, gnashing shards of wood in its jagged teeth. Predator was fast however, reaching up just as the beast lurched forward and planting a hand upon it's head.

In that instant, cold blasted through the beast, freezing it immediately and stopping it dead. A bang rang out next, and a golden bullet shattered the creature's rigid form, sending it exploding to shards of blackened ice.

"Boss!" Clover called out over the madness, turning swiftly to stand back to back with Predator and aiming both his revolvers up into the face of the worm racing down towards him. More pops crackled through the air as golden bullets shredded through the face of the giggling monstrosity, sending it's disgusting body crumbling to the ground. "Open a portal, we gotta move!"

"Not yet!" Predator summoned her trademark scythe in her hands, an icy chill washing up the blade and coating it in a light blue. Her cyan eyes darted PATIENTLY between the many lashing worms and the devastation they caused, awaiting the moment they made a move towards her. The beasts were mindless, scooping whatever they could find that bled into their jaws. Monsters, humans, things in between. Some faces that she recognized as targets and some that she knew as former clients, all scrambling desperately to escape and plenty falling victim to The Anarchist's brutality.

"Whaddaya mean 'not yet'?!" Clover asked furiously, eyes darting back towards Predator for only a moment before they were drawn back to another monstrosity flinging over to grab someone higher up in the stands. He was quick to lift his barrels to it, blasting a quick barrage of his JUSTICE through it's side and sending filthy black blood spraying through the air. "We both know we're gon' need the whole got dang crew to handle Anarchy! He's quadruple S rated!"

"I have to talk to him!" Was the only explanation The Predator offered, slashing swiftly as one maw of gnashing teeth got in too close and slicing the worm's face in two from a vertical angle. No blood sprayed however, for the wound was frozen shut just as quickly as it was made. The beast swayed, before ultimately tumbling back to the arena below, dead.

"You got cotton in yer ears?! They literally had to _invent_ the quadruple S rating _for_ Anarchy!" Clover snarled, a yellow shine coming out from under the left side of the shadow that his cowboy hat cast over his face. With lethal precision he put a hole in several more heads, golden eye darting from target to target and barrels moving right along with it. "Trust me, guys like him prefer talkin' with their fists!"

"Then me n' him got that in common, cowboy!" On that note Lexi turned on the balls of her feet, jumping fearlessly down towards the arena below. "Back me up as soon as you yank your balls back outta whatever hole they receded into!"

"Predator!" Clover called out in a rage, turning his head to watch her leap towards the center of this mayhem. She ignored him though, and he growled, jaw clenching with frustration. "Damn it!"

Swiftly the JUSTICE soul jumped, letting a worm crash mindlessly into the wood he'd been standing upon. As he dropped back towards it, he tossed both of his revolvers into the air, where they disappeared into his inventory. From the very same inventory a pump action shotgun appeared in his grasp, and just as the worm managed to yank its face free a slug of golden energy blasted through the back of its head, making it slump right back over.

"Girl's got more brass than sense!" Clover complained aloud as he landed on the massive worm corpse's back. A 'shuk-shuk!' resounded as he cocked the pump of his weapon before pointing it up into another beast's face, this time blasting buck shot right through those ugly teeth.

* * *

"Keep your ugly teeth away from him!" Cliff ordered furiously as he smashed a right hook alight in orange flames into the jaw of the worm racing towards the Gatherer's back. The force of his fist must have knocked something important loose, because the nightmare creature folded like clean laundry and tumbled right down to the ground.

"We need to retreat!" Gatherer ordered as he threw his hand out to the side, his lighter appearing in hand. With the clicking of it's ignition, fire blasted up from the simple gas lighter into an elegant and beautiful flaming blade. As soon as his weapon formed, Xander slashed at the gnashing teeth racing towards him from the front. His flaming sword carved a diagonal slash right through the worm's head, sending it crashing through the bleachers in front of Gatherer and making him jump back as his footing collapsed.

"But what about The Anarchist?!" Cliff objected as Xander landed in front of him, only to immediately spin and stab right into the dome of another monstrosity. The creature's momentum forced Gatherer to skid back some, but he never lost his footing, slashing up and freeing his blade from the gross skull. "He's massacring everyone here!"

"We aren't ready to face him!" Gatherer shouted over the giggling and the screaming, looking over his shoulder and watching Cliff clobber another worm with an uppercut, sending it tumbling backwards through the wood of the stands. "Both you and I are too important to die here to him!"

"But this is exactly what our cause is about!" Cliff objected, turning back to face his leader, who recoiled. "We stand to protect from freaks like him!"

"Together, Clifford! We stand together!" Gatherer argued as he too faced his second in command. Dramatically he threw his hand out to the side, passion and worry burning in those violet eyes. "Not now, not like this!"

"Bullshit!" Cliff objected bravely, catching Xander's hand as he swiped it through the air and holding it tight to reassure him. Confidently he smiled down at his boss, and Gatherer thought those orange eyes twinkled. "When you and me are together there's nothing we can't do!"

Gatherer recoiled at Clifford's words, his eyes going wide. A red shade quickly spread over his cheeks, and for just a moment he was dumbfounded. Once more Clifford had shut down The Gatherer's cold and calculating brain and instead sent a powerful pulse through his usually empty and apathetic heart, igniting it with courage and another, much more powerful emotion.

"... Right!" Xander steadied himself, gripping Cliff's hand right back and nodding in agreement. In truth he didn't give a damn about the lives Clifford wanted to spare, but he did care about what the man thought of him. He knew full well he couldn't bare to live in a world where Cliff thought him a coward, so he gathered all his will and prepared to live through a suicide mission. "We will divert his attention until the others can escape, and that will encourage them to aid us in our dream!"

"Yeah!" Cliff's face lit up when Gatherer agreed with him, a pink shade finding it's way on to his own cheeks. He couldn't help it, he admired everything about that man. Xander was so completely inspiring to him, that's why he dedicated his entire self to his cause. That's why he truly believed the two could do anything. "Lets do it!"

But then, Gatherer's expression hardened to something scornful, making Cliff's eyes go wide as he recoiled some.

"But you are forbidden from dying out there, got it?" Gatherer ordered with a seriousness so lethal Cliff knew he had to obey it.

"Y-yes sir!"

* * *

Anarchy had his eyes closed, humming right along to the sounds of mayhem around them like they were a beautiful song, An elegant violin and a perfectly sad piano, how soothing. Upon his face was an honest smile, and he slowly swayed back and forth, like he was almost dancing to this wonderful melody that only he could hear. He just felt so happy, for the first time in a very long time. The highlight of his melancholy life was at hand, and he was _very_ excited.

"Anthony..?"

"Huh?" Anarchy peeked one scarlet sphere open, but when he saw The Predator landing across from him, both of his eyes snapped open wide. He leaned back some, but his smile only widened. "Why, Lexi The Predator as I live and breathe!"

Predator didn't look nearly as happy as Anarchy did. Slowly and skeptically she walked closer, her scythe remaining gripped in her hand as she watched his every move.

"And here I thought you were still stuck back in the other world!" Anarchy's smile was excited and kind, but Lexi was far from dumb. She could see all the crazy in his crimson eyes. "It's been way too long! How _are_ you?"

"I'm, good..?" Predator spoke with uncertainty, slowly tilting her head to the side and narrowing her eyes at him. "You seem... Cheerier than the last time I saw you?"

"Well I _was_ gonna die the last time you saw me." Anarchy shrugged casually, eyes darting to the side. That proved only brief however when they shot right back to Lexi, nearly making her flinch. "Plus, I'm off those boring ol' meds!"

At that moment in the conversation, someone screamed a desperate plea for help from across the arena, and Anarchy turned his head, puffing out a cheek and arching a brow. "Hey, pal! Can you quiet down? Kinda tryin' to have a conversation here."

"Anthony, what... _Is_ all this?" Predator shook her head while her eyes narrowed painfully, gesturing out to the crumbling circus around them.

"This is my big party, Lexi! Today is a very special day." That smile gained a wicked edge, and those wide eyes narrowed with sudden malice. "... Hey, speakin' of the ol' days, how's Angel?"

"..." Lexi's jaw clenched, and she gripped her scythe with both hands, bending her knees and preparing for any sudden strike. "... Wouldn't know, I haven't seen him."

"Ahh, I guess that's alright. I'll see him soon enough, and I'm sure catching up will be tons a' fun." Anarchy's voice was low now, sharp with a murderous edge and quiet enough to force Lexi to listen to every word. "... Hey, y'know, if you got an invite to my ballroom blitz, you must be pretty busy these days, huh?"

"..." Predator's cyan orbs darted to the crowbar Anarchy gripped tightly in his hand, watching as those worms slowed to a stop from his raised palm, and he began to lower that arm. "... Don't do this, Anthony. I don't want to fight you."

"C'mon Lex, this is my night!" Anarchy objected, a mad grin splitting his face suddenly as he straightened his crowbar out to his side. "Dance with me. I love this song."

"This isn't a game Anthony!" Predator snapped, face contorting in a snarl as she stomped forward one step. Icy mist filtered out from the corners of her mouth, and ice crept up around her hands as she gripped that scythe with white knuckles. "You gave your life for me! You died because of me! I'm not gonna fight you!"

"I ain't dead, Lex." Grinning wide, The Anarchist sauntered across the blood splattered sands. At his feet his shadow whipped around, writhing with glee as he approached The Predator. "And you don't got a choice."

Predator growled furiously, before suddenly throwing an open palm out towards Anarchy. In an instant a burst of ice exploded to life, blasting out towards him in a massive wave of cold. It shredded through the earth, its crashing and shattering drowning out any other sound as Anarchy recoiled with genuine shock. "Goddamn son of a bitch!"

Anarchy took a step back as he recoiled from this display of power racing closer, but quickly his lips yanked right back up into that grin. He planted his feet, clenched his fists at his sides, and drew in a deep breathe. Then, red flames blasted up around him, and his roar shook the stadium as his aura caused Predator's attack to shatter upon impact, shards of blue flashing through the air and melting all the way to mist in an instant.

Predator ground her teeth, lowering her stance. A cloud of fog had enveloped the arena, but she could clearly see the flashing red of The Anarchist's DETERMINATION, and at it's center was a black outline of him.

Predator threw her free hand up over her head, and rapidly the mist was sucked upwards and into the rafters of the circus. With stage lights twinkling through them, the water vapor was quickly yanked together, swiftly refreezing into massive spikes of shimmering ice, all of which pointed right down at The Anarchist.

"... Ice powers huh?" Anarchy nodded calmly, watching as lethal stalactites fired down towards him without a care in the world. "Neat!"

"Glad'ja think so!" Predator's voice caught his attention, and those rubies in his head darted right over to Lexi as she jumped into the air right in front of him. He was impressed with how fast she'd closed the distance, and with genuine amusement he watched her yank that scythe back in both hands and chop viciously at his head.

He ducked under her blade, a few white strands being removed from his head as he cocked back his free fist and sent a quick jab towards The Predator's abdomen, only for her to move the long handle of her scythe in the way of his knuckles. The force of his punch shoved her right back through the air, and she landed about ten feet back, skidding on the balls of her feet and dropping into a low stance to invite Anarchy to charge.

But before he could, one of those ice spikes crashed down between the two, making him recoil with some surprise. He didn't have much time for that though when he found another pointed blue stone dropping down right towards his head. He planted his feet, cocked back that crowbar, and shattered the icicle to cyan splinters right over his head.

As hail rained down around him and obstructed his vision, Predator suddenly appeared with a drop kick, burying both feet in his cheek and forcing his head to the side. He slid back a step or two from the impact, before his murderous eyes darted right up to Lexi, making her flinch and grind her teeth with frustration.

Quickly Anarchy reached up, grabbing Predator by the ankle and spinning on his heel, shitwhipping her back across the arena. Around the two icicles were still crashing from above, shaking the earth and shattering through the bleachers. One happened to crash down in Predator's path, and she spun in air, planting both feet against it and launching herself right back at Anarchy. She spun and flipped her scythe in her grasp, holding it behind her head across her shoulders briefly before spinning when she reached the Anarchist, yanking back her scythe and swiping at his skull.

Anarchy was ready this time however, and Predator's eyes went wide when he caught the point of her scythe with his hand, letting it dig through his palm and out the back of his hand before his fingers shut around the chilled steel and stopped it in its tracks. Without skipping a beat he yanked Lexi forward with his grip on her weapon, jamming a powerful uppercut into her chin and sending her launching up into the rafters, losing her grip on her scythe.

She flipped through the air, before gravity finally caught her, yanking her right back down to earth. She steadied herself as best she could with the shock her brain was still in and the pain that ached through her entire mouth as she managed to land on one knee in the dirt.

"That..." Lexi lifted her head, wincing her eyes to focus her vision in on The Anarchist, who sauntered closer, grabbing the handle of the scythe embedded in his flesh and yanking it free without flinching. She clenched her jaw, and blood ran from the corners of her mouth down her chin. "That your best shot, pussy..?"

Anarchy didn't respond to that. He just smiled, cranked back her weapon, and whipped it back at her with terrifying speed. "Catch."

Predator's eyes went wide, and she was quick to get both of her hands up, managing to stop her own weapon with her hands, though the force shoved her back a few feet through the arena sands. The stalactites had stopped dropping around them, coating the arena in jagged pillars of frost. Perfect cover, she thought as she steadied herself, and as she forced herself to stand, her eyes darted back to Anarchy's, and she smirked with blood in her mouth.

Then, suddenly, she darted forward, racing across the arena towards The Anarchist with a battle roar. This made Anarchy grin, planting his feet and holding his arms wide open, like he was inviting her to attack. To his surprise, however, Predator did not strike him. The moment she got in close, she swung her scythe down, planting it's blade into the dirt and sending a blast of ice down from it, launching herself upwards on a pillar of cool blue gem. The stream of solid water arched right over Anarchy's head, dragging Lexi into the field of massive fallen stalactites, where she jumped down, disappearing into her cover.

She dropped down, quickly darting from icicle to icicle to create more distance while the gears in her brain turned and turned. Talking wasn't gonna work, and she meant what she said, she didn't want to fight Anarchy. Mostly because she considered him family, but also because she knew she'd lose. She had to grab Clover and the two had to get out of her, because the longer they lingered the slimmer their chances of escape got.

Then, just as she jumped by an ice pillar, it exploded apart, and her cyan eyes snapped open wide, darting to The Anarchist, who crashed fist first through the ice. And he was still racing forward on that punch. His knuckles crashed instantly into her cheek, throwing her right off her jump and sending her blasting back through three more icicles before she finally landed flat on her ass and skidded, slamming back first into the arena wall and slumping forward.

Anarchy watched her for a moment, before his eyes glossed over to the ice that littered his arena. Without a second thought, he clenched his fists again, and once more his searing red aura blasted to life. Vermilion flames exploded out around him, swirling over the ice and rapidly heating the arena. Icicles sweltered and perspired before finally shattering and melting under the rapid rise in temperature.

Lexi lifted her head, narrowing her eyes through the black strands of hair that fell over her face and the red that streamed down from her hairline. She watched as he obliterated her cover in a simple show of his power, and she couldn't help but wonder just how much he was pulling those punches. It was becoming more and more apparent that she was completely outclassed here, and when that aura died down to a dull crackle across The Anarchist's skin, and their eyes met once more, she felt his darkness.

BANG.

Anarchy's head jerked to the side, and red sprayed out over the dirt at his feet, but he never lost his footing, even with a hole in his head and chunks of his grey matter splattered over the ground. Slowly, he straightened his head. Then his neck creaked like an old wooden step - or at least Lexi imagined it did - as he turned his eyes into the stands, spotting her fearless sniper.

"One liner." Was Clover's simple and derailing statement as he pulled his eye away from the scope of his rifle, meeting The Anarchist's glare with his own as that hole in the madman's head sealed right back up.

Anarchy didn't say anything, he just turned on his heel, facing the JUSTICE soul and preparing to step towards him. That was, until his head was shoved to the side once more, one burning fist jamming into his cheek with force that _should_ have been bone shattering.

Anarchy's eyes darted to Cliff's, and the BRAVERY soul felt all of their weight crash down on him for a moment, shock rocking his body as The Anarchist didn't so much as flinch from his sucker punch. Chaos Incarnate wasn't smiling anymore, and to show his displeasure he grabbed Cliff by the wrist, his speed stunning the boxer. He yanked him forward effortlessly despite Cliff's imposing stature, straightening his arm and launching his knee right up into his elbow.

A crack echoed, followed instantly by an agonized roar as Anarchy let go of Clifford's now inward-bending arm, letting the boxer stumble back and cry out as his arm was effortlessly snapped into an unfortunate boomerang shape.

Then, Anarchy lifted his hand, an emotionless stare hitting the distracted Clifford as darkness seethed out of his palm. Just before those giggling worms could fire out to devour Cliff's flesh, however, flaming fangs sunk into The Anarchist's arm, yanking it away from the boxer and forcing Anarchy to turn to his right.

Yanking himself down on the whip like snake of fire he'd bit The Anarchist with, Gatherer planted both feet right in Anarchy's face, barely managing to get the powerhouse to take a single step back. Clenching his jaw with frustration, his violet eyes widened furiously, and boiling blue flames blasted to life from the soles of his shoes, completely engulfing Anarchy and making him disappear in a wrathful torrent of fire.

Gatherer launched back on those flames like a jet, creating distance between himself and his foe before the fire flickered out from his feet, and he dropped right back down, sticking the landing.

Gatherer watched the smoldering black smoke that shrouded Anarchy with eyes that saw all, a thin stream of grey swirling up from the cigarette in his mouth. He had removed his black jacket, and quickly he rolled up the sleeves of the white button up underneath. This revealed the black tattoos that coated his arms, king cobras coiling from his still covered shoulders and down over his forearms. From the heads of the tattoos those flame serpents hissed, embers crackling all along the ink in his skin and lighting his arms up in orange snake patterns. Suddenly, he no longer wore his usual look of a composed business man. With that murder in his eyes, the cigarette in his mouth, and the smoldering tattoos on his arms, he'd gone from the appearance of a CEO to that of a gang leader.

But just as soon as he thought he'd steeled himself, his eyes met the glowing red dots that appeared in the smoke, and he suddenly felt paralysis strike him. In an instant, the entire circus had went dark to him, and all he could see were the murderous orbs of Chaos Incarnate. Somehow just by looking into those eyes - or rather, those eyes looking in to him - he felt he was alone in endless vantablack. Just him and death itself. And that made him afraid. Afraid of the dark.

Then, suddenly, a figure stepped between Xander and The Anarchist, and he was released from his trance. Gatherer gasped, recoiling and letting his eyes dart back over the now well lit circus. He suddenly remembered where he was, and his racing heart began to slow as his violet eyes peered at the back of the one who stood between him and devastation. The one who had BRAVELY saved him from the dark.

"Stay behind me, Xander." Cliff spoke sternly, clutching his busted arm and glaring into the fading smoke ahead. Despite the pain coursing through his arm, despite the sweat on his forehead, his feet were planted. His eyes were fearless. "I'll keep you safe."

"I-I... Clifford..." Was all Xander managed to stammer, completely stunned. Sweat beaded down his forehead too, and though he wanted to find some words to give Cliff thanks, he was cut off by a much less welcome voice.

"Xander The Gatherer too?! My god, it really _is_ a special day!"

Gatherer, Predator, Clover, and Cliff all watched with tense expressions as the smoke faded around Anarchy, and he stood on glassed sand, whatever brutal burns that had boiled his flesh to the point of creating that much smoke finishing healing.

"I mean, look at this! All three of in one place for the first time in _months_!" Excitedly Anarchy grinned, gesturing to Gatherer on his one side and Predator on his other. "I'm so glad you guys are here! You've made this party WAY more fun!"

Clover jumped down next to Lexi as she climbed to her feet, propping herself up on her scythe. All four of the humans watched Chaos Incarnate with anxiety steaming off them, just waiting for his next move while they listened to his excited babbling.

"I really wish I could stay here and catch up with you guys, but I gotta hit the road." Anarchy shrugged, smiling like he really was just chatting it up with old friends. "See, I gotta rest up. I've pretty much been going none stop for awhile now and I need to get plenty of rest before my big day!"

"Big day..?" Predator repeated, narrowing her eyes suspiciously through the few long black strands that still drooped over her face. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I dunno if you noticed Lexi, but my best friend didn't bother to show up to my party." Anarchy's voice got lower, his eyes narrowing as his happy grin became a malicious smirk. "Our family Reunion is missing somebody."

"... You mean Hacker." Gatherer furrowed his brows, frown clear on his face. It made him ponder why Cter hadn't been brought here too. While he was unaware of it, he _was_ a very important figure. Perhaps he had been busy, or perhaps Jevil had evaded bringing him here on purpose. Maybe it was both.

"Bingo." Anarchy shot a finger gun at Gatherer with a wink, darkness shining in his eyes. "I've been meaning to catch up with him for awhile. I just had a lotta chores to take care of first."

"But now?" Blackness opened up like some kind of portal behind The Anarchist, and he gradually began seeping back into it. Still he spoke, not minding in the slightest as shadow slipped and wriggled over his flesh. "Everything's taken care of. It's finally time."

"Time for what?!" Cliff snapped, taking a warning step forward despite the fear Anarchy's presence caused him.

"A Reunion, my friends." Anarchy leaned his head back, his body disappearing into the vantablack. Darkness ran through his hair, slipped over his face, pulled him deeper into it's madness until only those burning red eyes were visible.

" _A Reunion_."

Then, Anarchy's heart stopping eyes disappeared into the nothing, and the portal followed suit. This left the four all standing there, shaken and bewildered to the horrors they had just witnessed. They all exchanged haunted glances, friend and foe equally fearful of a much greater threat.

As the wood supports of the circus began to creak and groan, and the tent began to crumble around them, sending rubble crashing from above, no one had the strength to speak a word. There were no words to say that would mean anything in the gravity of today's events. They all knew what was on the horizon.

Something grand and terrible was coming.

And preparations must be made.

 **DOUBLETALE: SEASON 4**

 **REUNION**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	39. Chapter 39: Friendship Isn't A Cure

**Thanks go to Andyfire123, Tbone8454, Wingah, Acoolnamme, 10burgers, cassianaswindell123, saltythebear, WhoWritesThisCrap, Doctah Sawbones, Zack Frost, Jack54311, Sonic245, Linki, NecroGodYami, TheFallenAngel873, Guest, and I'mANervousWreck.**

 **10burgers, you've only ever forgotten to review once lol. And then you went back and fixed it later. So don't sweat it.**

 **A lot of people have asked if I plan on including more Deltarune characters, and uhh... _Maybe_. **

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Hisssss..._

Groggily my green eyes opened, vision fading in and out. It took a moment to adjust to the darkness that surrounded me, and as more of my senses returned to me, I became aware of the puddle I was laying in and the coldness that was pouring over my foot.

 _ **Know this place.**_

I gradually managed to prop myself up on my elbows, earning a dull splash from the puddle I was laying in. My left foot was right under the broken pipe from which the white trash waterfall poured, and I was quick to pull it out from the cold once I fully understood what was going on.

 _ **Closer.**_

Blinking my still adjusting eyes, I crawled back out of the water while I scanned my surroundings. Concrete floors, cinder block walls, pipes and wood beams lining the ceiling. I knew this basement like the back of my hand, even though I'd hardly spent any time here.

 _ **Worst place on Earth.**_

 _Riiiippppppp..._

 _ **Birthplace.**_

Blinking and squinting into the writhing, slithering darkness, I could make out a shape. So pale that what little light existed in this hole reflected enough from it's alabaster skin that it was visible in the murky depths. I could see it there, the ivory ghoul. Hunched over its latest victim and it's new meal. A meal it desperately needed, that much was obvious to anyone who looked at the wretched thing.

Its skin was vacuum packed right to its bones, the outline of every vertebrae visible along its back. Its arms were sticks and so were its legs, and yet its muscleless form commanded strength the likes of which I'd never seen. Effortlessly it tore apart flesh and bone, anything and everything that its jaws could crush was sucked down into a bottomless gullet, feeding the new born ghoul.

 ** _Shouldn't have been possible._**

And somehow, this sickly, frail beast commanded all the power in the world to me. It horrified me, made my blood cold. I knew those jaws would rip through my flesh soon, it was nearly done eating. Desperately my terrified emeralds darted about the darkness, spotting each and every giggling worm that slithered just on the line between invisible and visible. Their laughter echoed quietly over the walls, bouncing and hitting my ears from a different angle each time.

Finally, my eyes landed on it. The ghoul's greatest weapon and its only kryptonite. The twisted, blood dipped metal of that crowbar reflected crimson in what little light landed upon it, and its disgusting form created hope in my petrified heart.

 ** _Before he kills you._**

Slowly and quietly I got my feet, my eyes never leaving that mane of blood stained snow upon the ghoul's head. My ears listened intently to the gnashing of its teeth, every slurp and every quick gasp for air between chomps. With painfully slow steps I crept up towards the feasting creature, crouching low and letting my left hand hang down.

Silently I scooped that crowbar from the blood spattered floor, straightening my back and gradually lifting the wicked tool up over my head. I loomed over the huddled freak on the floor, knuckles white around my weapon. Its red shades bled over my palm and its taint crept deep into my flesh. That didn't matter though, survival is what mattered. I cranked back that chaotic tool, and I swung down with all my might.

But all my might was nothing in the face of The Anarchist, and that was made painfully clear when those bleached fingers clamped around my wrist like a vice, and my swing was stopped dead. My heart stopped in my chest, cowardly tears welled in my eyes, my lungs were punctured by fear.

The ivory ghoul's head snapped right back around like an owl, and I stared into glowing red spheres. Its jaw unhinged, revealing an accountable amount of teeth as it lurched towards me.

Those jaws closed, and my face was torn from my head, shredded between a thousand rows of teeth and sucked into the gully of the abyss.

 ** _Karma._**

I shot up in bed like someone had jammed a needle full of adrenaline into my chest, not pausing for a moment to let my sleep wash away. I ripped the blankets from my body, casting them to the floor and racing through the dark towards my room door. I burst out into the hallway in nothing but my boxers and a gross, sweaty sheen.

With urgency I bolted down the stairs of my darkened and slumbering home, down to the bathroom furthest from anyone's bedroom, the door of which I blasted through. Instantly I was knelt before the toilet, my dinner spewing up from my jaws and both my nostrils and into the formerly unsoiled waters of the toilet with a disgusting splash.

Fingers wrapped around the porcelain edges of that bowl, I shoved my head deeper inside, hurling shades of green and yellow for several long moments. Until finally, my stomach was empty, and I thoughtlessly leaned my head on the seat, gasping for breath while hot garbage still stung in my throat, mouth and nose.

Weakly my hand lifted, fumbling for several moments before finally slapping down on the chrome nob on the toilet's back, flushing my puke into the sewers and erasing the evidence. The disappearance of that odor was an added bonus.

I laid there for awhile, waiting for strength to trickle back through my limbs. Eventually though, I managed to push myself up from my admittedly gross head rest. I stumbled over to the bathroom sink, brown hair dangling over my face while I hung my head low.

The dull hiss of the sink and the splash of the water was a refreshing sound, and I leaned forward, washing the disgusting streams of vomit that still made their way down my face from both nostrils and my mouth away, along with the sweat that dripped from the tip of my nose.

Still panting lightly, I lifted my head, the faucet squeaking some as I turned the water off. And there I stood. Hunched over the sink, shaky hands resting on the counter. My face was pale and dark bags hung under my eyes. My jaw was slacked with my continued gasping.

I stared into my own eyes, and I could see my own contempt. My hate, my disgust. From the barrel and right back in, my fury wasn't aimed at anybody other than me. Slowly my fingers dug into the counter, threatening to send cracks through the granite while more and more loathing crept into my less than KIND eyes.

But, before I accidentally shattered something in my grip, I caught a figure out of the corner of my eye. In the mirror, I could see through the wide open doorway behind me. And though it was dark, the boy that stepped into the door frame was perfectly clear.

Sweetly little Anthony smiled at me, his hands politely behind his back. Our eyes met through the mirror's reflections, and some of that hate faded out of mine. In its place was guilt, shame. Still Anny smiled, pure and loving and accepting as always.

I threw up in the sink.

 **Chapter 39: Friendship Isn't A Cure**

 _"Long time no see, you damn dirty traitor."_

* * *

It'd been about a week since we first heard about Character. Five days since Chara iced 'em. When I got home that night, clothes shredded and blood on my tongue, the family was shocked to say the least.

I stumbled in the door in the middle of dinner. Guess I had missed a few phone calls while I was getting my ass handed to me half way across the multiverse. Everyone rushed over to me when they saw me. Asgore had been visiting for dinner, so he didn't have much trouble helping me over to the couch.

They all had plenty of questions, and I had plenty of answers. I told them what happened with Character. I left out the bits about Future's tragic timeline timeline and how I let Hacker get away by sparing him like an idiot. What I did talk about was how it was Chara that saved the day. In fact, I think I talked about that the longest.

I just felt that they deserved it. Chara had come a long way, and not everybody knew that. So I had to make it a point to explain that to Frisk, Toriel, and Asgore. The goat parents believed every word, it was clearly something they wanted to hear. Frisk, however, was a little more skeptical.

It wasn't that they didn't believe what I told them, it was that they almost couldn't believe what I told them. I understood that. They spent an uncountable amount of time with Chara when they were both at their worst. After all that, anyone would struggle believing the heroics they'd displayed.

Things were still always a little tense the few times Chara and Frisk were in the same room. A sort of unspoken discomfort that neither of the two seemed particularly willing to face just yet. All that said, Frisk _did_ seem glad to hear what Chara had done to save the day.

Though there was some scolding for my recklessness, Toriel mostly understood why we had put ourselves in danger like that. She didn't like it, and I could tell she wished she had more to scold me with, but we both knew I was a special case. First and foremost, I was The Angel. And that came with certain responsibilities, some of which were dangerous.

 _"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."_

... That was something else I'd left out.

I mean, we've been over this. I couldn't tell them. I couldn't tell anyone. They'd be disgusted by what I'd done, by who I was.

*Who you are.

I had to lie. I had to lie and hope that my past never found us. Never found them.

* * *

Down the chrome hallways footsteps echoed fiercely. Through the voidcraft The Predator walked with purpose, icy eyes piercing through all in front of her while chilled hands clenched in tight fists at her sides.

It was an interesting craft. Some strange amalgam of a spaceship, an airship, and a cruise ship that blasted through the endless nothing of the void between timelines. It was large enough to house a dozen space pirates and a dozen more if and when Predator found the right recruits. A little apartment for every member of her team, a mess hall, a shooting range, a gym, a common area. It was a nice home on the go, a place where everyone felt welcome and happy, despite the dark and dangerous tones of their line of work.

"You sure about this whole 'Anarchist' thing, boss?" From a few paces behind Lexi a shorter, somehow chubby skeleton padded along in his pink slippers with slower, less than energetic steps.

"Yes, Sans." Predator scowled, not turning her head to look back at him while she continued forward. She didn't slow down, clearly not caring how hard it was for Sans to keep up at his leisurely pace. "I know I probably sound like a madwoman, but my mind's made up."

"I've known you were a madwoman since I met you." Sans' eyes darted to his right, that playful grin never fading from his expression. "Now you sound like a suicidal woman."

Predator rolled her eyes, slowing her pace some without really noticing as Sans picked up his own feet, the distance between the two closing. "Look, I know Anthony seems bad, but-"

" _Bad_?" Sans repeated with some disbelief, turning his mask of an expression up to The Predator. "No, wasps are bad. Anarchy is a jumble'a words that shouldn't be said in polite company."

" _Anthony_ is my friend." Predator growled, shooting a glare Sans' way. Her stomping had lead her to the end of the hallway, where a large steel door labeled 'COCKPIT' loomed. "He gave everything for me once. I owe it to him to help him."

" _Anthony_ is gone, Lexi." Sans stated much more forcefully, staring at his boss's back. The two now stood still, Predator's eyes unmoving from the door looming before her. "And _Anarchy_ tried to kill you."

"... He's still in my reach." Lexi spoke quietly, hair shadowing her eyes. Slowly she lifted her hand, reaching out to the hand print pad beside the door. "I can just... Feel it. He can turn things around, he just needs a friend..."

"Anarchy is not the victim here, Predator." Sans lowered his head some, looking at her from under his eyebrows and letting a deathly seriousness creep into his tone. "Whatever he might have been to you before is gone. He's a wild animal now."

"..." Predator's jaw clenched, and her fingers curled back away from the hand scanner, forming a fist. With venom on her tongue, she struck a lethal blow.

"... So were you when I found you, GB."

Sans recoiled from that, the pupils disappearing from his sockets and his grin shrinking on his face. The two stood there, silent as they let those words settle. Until finally, Sans blinked away, disappearing from the hallway without a word.

Predator slowly lifted her head, a strand of long black hair falling down between her eyes, which glinted with DETERMINATION. She pressed her hand to the scanner on the door, and after a few lights slipped across her fingers and palm, the pad lit up in green, and the doors slid apart.

"Tra la la~ Made a decision, have you?" River Person turned their head, letting the infinite darkness of their cloak stare back at The Predator as she marched into the cockpit. The room was alight with blue streams of energy, a strange control system that only River Person could navigate. Lights and screens and buttons that Lexi couldn't hope to understand - nor did she have any desire to.

Curled at the monster's feet - at least, Predator thought River Person was a monster. No one had ever seen beneath the cloak, so no one could be certain - was an animate wooden structure. A large cat, like some kind of tiger laid by the base of River Person's cloak. Their pet and body guard, Splinters.

"There's only one person who knows Anthony better than I do, River P." Predator nodded with certainty, taking a step forward and looking out into the shimmering black of the void through the massive window that overtook the front half of the room. "And if I'm gonna help Anthony, I'm gonna need him by my side."

"Tra la la~ A secret friend? Who might he be?" River Person spun gently, doing a little twirl to get over to a hovering holo-keyboard and lifting their large sleeves over it. Their hands remained shrouded as they turned their covered face back to The Predator, "Show me the path, and let me see."

"... DT00002." Predator spoke solemnly, and River Person tilted their head back with a little surprise, before nodding and turning their head back to the keyboard. On a bar that floated above the board, a jumble of letters and numbers that almost resembled a URL was altered. The last seven digits of the code were changed to the code Predator had given, and upon hitting enter, a pulse of energy washed through the many streams of light illuminating the room, and the ship's course was altered.

"Tra la la~ Cter The Hacker, yes?" River Person looked back to Predator, who stood with her back to him, staring out into the endless space that they blasted through. "I had no idea you two were close, tra la la~"

Predator smiled a little fondly. She tried her best to hide it, but it was clear that she was excited to see him again. She'd grown so much, she was sure. The cowardice she'd once suffered from was gone from her, and she knew that she was ready to see him again. All the work she'd put in, everything she'd built. She wasn't someone who often looked for approval in others. In fact, following the beat of her own drum is what had gotten her this far.

But, she'd be lying if she said that some part of her wasn't hoping for Angel to be proud of her.

"... Very close."

* * *

"... So, uhm, Xander?"

Cliff looked up from a plate of food to the other side of the table, where Gatherer was seated with perfect posture. The two were alone in Gatherer's private suite, eating dinner together in candle light. And while Cliff certainly didn't have any qualms with this oddly romantic setting, it certainly confused him. Gatherer hadn't really explained his motives, he'd just invited him up here after asking him if he'd eaten yet.

"Yes, Clifford?" Xander lifted his own head, rising his eyebrows inquisitively as his purple spheres connected with Cliff's orange ones.

"Well, it's not that I have any problems with with you inviting me to your home for dinner, but..." Cliff's eyes glossed around the neat and tidy dinning room they were seated in while he spoke, almost a little too embarrassed to make eye contact with eyes as powerful as The Gatherer's. "I'm, sort'a confused. Did you want to talk to me about something? I know how hard you've been working since our encounter with The Anarchist a few days ago, does it have something to do with that..?"

"Hm." Gatherer's lips curled up a little smirk, and he shook his head, clearly amused. "Clifford, does this look like the setting for a business meeting?"

"Uhh..." Clearly inexperienced with business meetings and decorum, Cliff let his eyes scan the room for a moment or two, hoping it would present him with the correct answer to Gatherer's question. "... No..?"

Gatherer laughed a little at Cliff's response, lifting a hand to his mouth while he did so. Then, he lowered his hand, and finally answered Cliff's question. "This is a date, actually."

"W-wait what?!" Cliff recoiled, his face immediately lighting up in red hot embarrassment.

"I hope that isn't a problem." Xander folded his hands together over the table, approaching this whole ordeal like it _was_ a business meeting. That made sense, he'd never faced a scenario quite like this one, and despite his composure, it was obvious to Cliff that he had no idea what he was doing. "You inspired me earlier this week, and upon facing Anarchy's danger, I was reassured that time is precious. So I didn't want to drag my feet with things between us any longer."

Cliff paused, staring at Xander with widened eyes and risen eyebrows. Then, after a pause, he burst into laughter, making The Gatherer recoil. A light red overcame his cheeks, Clifford's laughter clearly catching him off guard.

"W-what?" He asked, clearly disheartened and flustered. He was terrified now that he'd misread something, that he'd made a fool of himself with this little plan. But then, Cliff smiled sweetly at him. The larger man lifted his chair after standing, walked it over to Gatherer's side, set it down, and took a seat next to him.

"You really look at everything like it's one big plan, huh?" Cliff smiled with a gentle care and affection as he put an arm around Gatherer, pulling him in close. Gatherer stiffened some at this, the red on his face darkening while he shrunk with embarrassment. "It's cute."

"W-well, I have a very analytical brain..." Gatherer crossed his arms, pouting while Cliff held him. Then, he muttered. "... And, I lack... Experience, in this area... So I stuck with what made sense..."

"Well it worked." Cliff teased lightheartedly, planting a sweet kiss on the top of Gatherer's lowered head. A move that just made his face darken to a crimson shade. "You really woo'd me."

"S-shut up..." Gatherer spoke, even though there was a little smile on his face while he reached up, nervously twirling a strand of his hair between his fingers.

"So does this mean I'm your boyfriend now?" Cliff continued to tease, Xander's embarrassment warming his heart. "Do I have a quota of flowers and chocolates to bring you every day?"

"Very funny..." Gatherer rolled his eyes, starting to get a little more comfortable in Cliff's arms. After a moment, he smiled up at him, his blush fading to a lighter shade of pink. "No, I don't need anything like that. Just keep being yourself, okay?"

This time it was Cliff who recoiled, a light blush forming on his own cheeks at his words. Xander was a collected man most days, very calculating. Cliff figured Gatherer was at least four times smarter than he was, so of course he followed him. But it was more than that. Xander's ambition and his passion truly inspired Clifford to work his hardest, be his best self, and dedicate his everything to their cause. It was hard for Cliff to remember a life before Xander, or imagine a life without him. And when he looked into his violet eyes, he thought Xander might have felt the same way.

"I... I think I can do that."

* * *

Demon stood there, arms crossed over their chest while they stared into the dim green light reflecting in their scarlet orbs. They were in a large laboratory, multiple desks scattered with papers standing right where the dim light of the medical pods met the darkness.

The lights were shut off, and all scientists had left the room, their work hours over. The Demon was alone, lingering in the shadows as they had been since Gatherer had taken them and The Hacker in. The Hacker who now floated before them, eyes shut in his coma while the magical green goop he was cast into healed his body and soul.

... The two had went overboard as Character, Demon knew that now. Hacker's soul was damaged so thoroughly that even if he had been awake to eat a healing item, it was unlikely it would have helped much. So now they waited here with him, every day. Hardly sleeping and hardly eating, Demon watched that unconscious expression pensively. They had to keep him safe while he slept, and they had to be here to reassure him when he awoke.

"Haven't you ever heard the story about the watched pot and its lack of boiling?"

Demon scowled as the lights were flipped on, turning their head to look back into the room's doorway. An Alphys was standing there, staring condescendingly from behind her stupid swirly glasses. She was from one of those 'Underfell' timelines, Demon was pretty sure. She was less stuttery than the rest, but the same coward deep down.

"What do you want?" Demon growled, watching Alphys walk right past them and towards the pod at the farther end of the room. The only other patient currently in the laboratory.

"I'm not here for you or your idiot in a jar." Alphys stung in her irritating, nasally voice. She stopped before the emerald hue of another pod, hunching over the little key pad and screen displaying vitals at its side. "So lose the tone."

"..." Demon watched this Alphys step out of line without even looking them in the eye. This sass from a lower life form made their eye twitch, and without hesitation they stomped over to the distracted doctor. While Alphys was busy with a routine check up, Demon got right up behind her, snagging her by the back of her shirt and spinning her around suddenly and violently. They grabbed the front of Alphys' shirt then, shoving her back against the wall that was to her side earlier and looming over her with a malicious red glow in their eye.

"Do you have any idea how _easy_ it is to hide a pile of dust?" Was Demon's only question, shadows slipping over their face and leaving nothing but bright red eyes and a malicious smile. =)

"U-u-uh..!" Suddenly, Alphys' stutter was back. Her glasses drooping down her nose, Demon could see the terror in her eyes. That, in tandem with the sweat pouring over her scales and all that trembling she was doing in their grasp was answer enough for Demon.

Demon's smile faded to a hateful scowl, and they tugged Alphys to the side, letting her tumble to the floor haphazardly after letting go of her. They turned to face the glowing pod before them, shooting a disdain filled glare over their shoulder at Alphys, who was scrambling to find her glasses after they had flung from her face with her landing. "That's what I thought."

Alphys grit her teeth, but despite her indignation, she didn't say a word. She knew her place, after all. She was considerably less valuable to Gatherer than The Demon was at the moment, so she couldn't afford to step too far out of line with them, even if they _were_ a brat.

"Speaking of idiots in jars," Demon crossed their arms over their chest once more, staring up at the unconscious skeleton floating in green goop before them. "What's up with this guy? Thought that Cter and Chara axed Error a few months back."

"They c-certainly got close..." Alphys finally managed to find her glasses, slipping their spiral lenses over her eyes before she began climbing to her. "But, much like you and H-Hacker, Gatherer found him in the nick of time."

"Looks to me like Gatherer was a minute or two too late." Demon sneered, some sadistic part of them amused by seeing Error's pathetic, shattered body. "I mean, look at him. He's down three limbs and most of his ribs. Not to mention half of his face is melted."

"M-monsters are a lot harder to revive when they fall down. There's little we can do for Error as it stands." Alphys too turned to face the broken, photo-negative skeleton, pushing up her glasses and shrouding her eyes behind their strange pattern. "Still, though, The Gatherer has use for him. So we will keep him alive until his p-plan comes to fruition."

"... Un huh." Demon rolled their eyes, like the idea that there was any use for this crumbling mess of a monster was completely ridiculous to them. "And what's that plan exactly?"

"T-that's top secret." Alphys crossed her arms, clearly annoyed by Demon's lack of belief in her leader. "Not even I know what it is..."

"Ha!" Demon shook their head as they laughed, turning and walking away from Alphys, back towards Hacker's healing pod. "Sounds like he doesn't have one."

"Yes he does!" Alphys snapped angrily, chasing after The Demon. "Gatherer always has a plan!"

"I'll believe it when I see it." Demon frowned, pausing once more before The Hacker. They were displeased, as usual, to see his eyes had yet to open in the two minutes since they last checked.

"L-look, if you're gonna be around here, you b-better learn a few things!" Alphys spoke with a mix of confidence and fear, now standing near Demon, but not within arms reach. "G-Gatherer took you in, show some gratitude!"

"..." Demon didn't speak, instead opting to shoot Alphys a glare. They were all like this, a cult of weak minded devouts worshiping The Gatherer. As much as they wanted to denounce the silver tongued pyromancer, right now they were in his home. At his mercy. Forced to rely on him, at least until Hacker got better. So instead, they picked their words carefully.

"... Hacker didn't trust Xander." Demon lifted their eyes back up to the tank before them, their jaw clenching anxiously.

"So I won't either."

* * *

"Yo, Cter!" Monster Kid grinned happily over at me as he pulled open the passenger side door of my van with his tail. He climbed into the seat next to mine as I pulled the gear shift into drive, shutting his door before using a combo of his teeth and his tail to buckle his seat belt. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks!" I smiled some as I pulled off the side of the street and onto the road, flashing my expression to him briefly before turning my eyes back to the road.

"Do you feel old yet?" Monster Kid joked, sending his pure smile my way. I couldn't look to see it, but I felt its light shining on me.

"MK I've felt old since I was nine years old." I joked right back, the corner of my mouth curling upwards when I heard him laugh.

"Then you really must really feel over the hill now, huh grandpa?" MK teased while we made our way towards the mountain looming over town, a 25 zone jumping to 35, then 45, and finally 55.

"You have no idea." I spoke like I was playing along with his joke, but I was being honest. Lately I felt like my hair was gonna go grey and my face was gonna wrinkle up. My hair clogged the shower drain last time I took one, and that ain't exactly normal when you have shortish hair on your head and aren't a super hairy dude.

"So you really convinced Chara to drop by, huh?" MK changed the subject to something that brightened my mood. I hadn't seen Chara since they defeated Character, but I checked in with them to make sure they were still good to go this morning. "How'd you manage that?"

"Well, I think they might'a realized life's a little too short to give in to social anxiety all the time after we both almost got iced against Character." I shrugged casually, eyes forward while I made a turn off the paved roads and onto some dirt ones. "'Sides, them n' Asriel have come a long way. I'm sure they were already considering taking a step like this one."

I wasn't sure of that at all, but I didn't wanna take credit for something I really didn't do.

"Do you think they'll show me their transformation too?!" MK lit up with excitement, little stars forming in his eyes as he looked over to me. "The way you described it made it sound so cool!"

"That's because it _is_ so cool." I smirked a little at Monster Kid's fanboy tendencies. "But I wouldn't press your luck, bud. Chara's not the biggest fan of displaying their power these days."

"Boooo!" Monster Kid voiced his displeasure, making me snerk some. The road got a little bumpier beneath us as we got onto some old mountain path, hardly managed and barely safe for my rickety old van.

Me and Kid talked for awhile longer, until we eventually made it to the end of the road, and I pulled to a stop. But, just as MK and I were getting ready to exit the car and walk the rest of the way to reach the mountains peak, we spotted two individuals making their way down to greet us.

Chara lifted their hand with a small smile, waving a little timidly while Asriel waved a lot more excitedly from behind them. Suddenly those anxieties eating at the back of my brain pulled their jaws away and disappeared, and I smiled, unbuckling my seat belt and pushing open my door.

"Hey! And here I thought I'd have to drag you two outta your hidey hole!" I returned their wave as I climbed out the side of my van, MK escaping through his own door.

"And we thought we'd be waiting for you to show up all day!" Asriel joked right back to me, smiling a little wider with my friendly greeting.

"Glad you two are keeping your expectations low, means I can afford to be less punctual next time." I grinned in the way a Cter does, shoving my hands into my pockets as I reached the two with Monster Kid on tow.

"So that's how you get around on the surface, huh?" Chara crossed their arms, smirking a little over at me while they faced my faded purple, rusty, ozone obliterator of a van. "Are we sure that thing is safe?"

"Everything is up to code in," Suddenly, I posed dramatically, pointing both of my arms to the front of my van. "The violet vehicle!"

"The magenta mode of transportation!" MK joined in, posing right their with me in the same manner.

Then, together, we started the sentence to finish off my car's titles. "The-!"

"Purple piece of shit?" Chara tilted their head some as they cut the two of us off, smirk growing with clear amusement and playfulness.

MK and I froze in our tracks, before MK broke into laughter at Chara's words. I just placed my hands on my hips, tilted my head back, and gave them a look that said 'very funny'. That had a look that read 'Thank you, I'll be here all week'.

"... You're walking." I finally spoke, making them snerk while I turned to walk back towards the newly christened Purple Piece of Shit.

"Screw you, I'll fly there and get there before you do." Chara played along in my sass as the two of us walked back towards the van together.

"Nope. Not allowed." I shook my head, shrugging like there was nothing I could do.

"What do you mean not allowed?" Chara narrowed their eyes at me now from the other side of the van, grabbing a door handle while we feigned an argument about how they were gonna get to the party _without_ the van. "I do what I want!"

"Nope." I spoke casually, pulling open the driver's side door and sliding into my seat.

"You can't just say nope like it's a real argument!" Chara shouted despite the slight smile upon both our faces, taking their own seat in the van.

Asriel stood there for a moment outside the van, squinting a little suspiciously at the scene he just watched unfold between the two humans. His eyes glossed from side to side, like equations were appearing in his field of vision and he was working on solving them. Before he could find any answer to the cause of the strange and, almost out of character interaction he just witnessed however, Monster Kid finished up his giggling.

"Purple piece'a... Ahh, that's a good one." MK chuckled, slowly shaking his head while he patted Asriel on the back to get his attention. "C'mon, we don't wanna be late!"

"Huh?" Asriel jumped slightly, before his wits returned to him, and he smiled politely. "Oh, yeah! Sorry, heh!"

* * *

Nervously Gaster clacked his digits on the table of his laboratory, leaning back on the smooth surface while he held his other hand over his mouth. His anxious eyes were focused on the tile floor, which CORE Frisk paced silently across, their ethereal little feet not making a sound.

"Okay, think." Gaster spoke, not lifting his head while his brain ran laps inside his perspiring skull. "What are our options here?"

"Options? Options?!" C Frisk snapped anxiously, making Gaster jump some as they looked back to him. "We don't have other options, Gaster! That's why Cter became our guy in the first place!"

"Unfortunately for us Character had the foresight to throw an attack Chara's way before he could finish... Whatever that thing he was doing was!" C Frisk threw their hands into the air with frustration, before beginning to pace back and forth. "And while it's great that Chara got a power boost too and all, now NOBODY is strong enough to beat Anarchy!"

"Well maybe he'll reach that power again when fighting Anarchy!" Gaster offered a frantic solution, but that did little to calm down C Frisk, who just shook their head.

"We can't afford to role those dice!" C Frisk looked back to the doctor with growing panic on their face. "Even if he does start to change and Anarchy decides to _let_ him, that _might_ , plenty of emphasis on the might, put them on equal footing!"

"Well... I don't know, maybe..." Gaster trailed off, holding his chin thoughtfully while he pondered.

"Maybe? Maybe what?" C Frisk looked back up to Gaster, clearly desperate for any kind of solution.

"Well, perhaps... Perhaps there's some way we can work in another trial?" Gaster lifted his head, arching a brow bone over at C Frisk. "Something to push him over the edge and unleash that power we saw briefly against Character?"

"Uugh! Gaster! You aren't getting it!" C Frisk reached up both hands and ruffled their own hair, shutting their empty eyes tight for a moment before snapping them back open. "We don't have time for anymore trials! Anarchy could open his eyes in the next few seconds at the very worst and the next few days at the very, very, absolute best!"

"And the moment he does, he's comin' here!" C Frisk turned on their heel to face the doctor, throwing their hands dramatically out to their sides. "He's coming here and Cter _isn't_ ready!"

"Well we have to do _something_ , Frisk!" Gaster snapped right back at them, slamming his skeletal fist down on the table behind him. "We have to make a move! There has to be something left that we can do! I don't care what!"

"I know something you two can do."

In an instant Gaster and C Frisk snapped their heads to their side, eyes widening in shock and terror as they spotted another skeleton with madness in his eyes materializing from a rainbow of pixels. From thin air Badster had appeared, flashing dead eyes and a mad smile. He extended one hand outward, the other tucked behind his back in a strange and friendly gesture that was undercut by the evil clear in those bright white pupils.

Gaster took up a defensive stance while C Frisk took a step behind him. Sweat formed on Gaster's brow, and he clenched his jaw, a purple glow igniting his eyes as he opened the both of his palms. Magic crackled as a warning in the holes that pierced his hands, but Badster's smile never faded.

"Relax, relax!" Badster instructed with a calm and friendly tone. He was almost jovial as he retracted his hand, lifting both hole punched palms over his head to show he lacked any physically harmful intentions. "I am not a violent man, no matter what company I may keep."

"Well I am going to be getting _very_ violent if you don't remove yourself from my laboratory this instant." Gaster growled his threat through grinding teeth, not even considering lowering his guard for a moment.

"What are you doing here, Badster?!" C Frisk demanded from the safety of Gaster's calf, shooting a glare up at the looming madman.

"Badster? Is that what you've been calling me?" Badster cocked a brow, snerking with some amusement. But then, his eyes narrowed with lethal precision, and his amused smile grew into a malicious smirk. "You really are just a child, aren't you? It was foolish of me to ever leave The Hacker's grooming to the likes of _you_."

"Grooming..?" Gaster repeated quietly to himself, narrowing his sockets suspiciously. He didn't object however, deciding to let his less than reputable doppelganger speak awhile longer.

"So, since you two _clearly_ have no concept of what you're doing, I've come all the way out here to offer you a solution." Badster tilted his head, that smile shaping his face in its usual wicked malformation.

"Like we'd take advice from you!" C Frisk snapped, stomping forward and out from behind Gaster's leg to display their defiance. Gaster held out one hand however, asking them silently to let Badster speak.

"I think this news will interest you both." Badster perfected his posture, holding both hands behind his back and looming like some crow. Some black cat, some terribly bad omen of things to come. "The Predator is on her way here as we speak."

"What?" Gaster exclaimed with some surprise, his expression tensing further along with the rest of his body. "What would she be doing here?"

"She wants to drag your Cter into some harebrained scheme to 'save' my Anarchist." Badster rolled his eyes at the silliness of such an idea. Like Anarchy was some kind of victim. As if anyone _but_ Anarchy commanded what Anarchy did. "And she's going to be leaving her pirate cruise ship docked, without her there to defend it. You know where that will be, don't you, CORE Frisk?"

"... Yes, of course I do." C Frisk narrowed their eyes suspiciously, an anxious sweat breaking out on their forehead as they theorized what Badster could be planning. "I'm omnipresent. Why are you telling us this?"

"Well... It sure would be a shame if someone like, oh, I don't..." Badster tilted his head from side to side, one of his many hands appearing over his head to roll in a circular motion, like his brain was pretending to buffer. "The Gatherer, purely for example, knew where that ship was and how long Predator would be away from it."

Both Gaster's and C Frisk's eyes went wide, instantly catching on to what Badster was being coy about. Swiftly the kinder doctor clenched his fists, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

"I'm only spit balling ideas, the same as you two." Smirking cockily Badster shrugged, two hands appearing over his head and mimicking the same motion. "I just think that if Predator came home to a half-destroyed ship and a few dead friends... Well."

"We all know how The Predator is." Wickedly Badster grinned, shadows slipping along his face as he tilted his head to his side. "With that kind of motivation, I personally don't have a doubt in my mind that she would drag your Angel along for a suicide mission. And that _is_ how you make him stronger, isn't it? Throwing him at the wall so hard that he _has_ to stick?"

"There is _no way_ we would ever commit to doing something so cruel!" Gaster snarled, stomping one foot forward to emphasis his point.

"Oh no, I completely understand." Badster shut his eyes and shook his head in feigned understanding. He lifted his hands and waved them dismissively. As he did so, however, not only did he begin to break away into pixels, but Gaster did as well, much to the other doctor's surprise and fear.

"Cruelty is something I know **very** well."

In the next instant, Gaster was standing in the endless nothing, staring out over a vantablack desert with one horrifying sandstorm at its center. From the nothing had come something. And that something was a terror the likes of which Gaster had never seen before.

There, in the center of his darkness, The Anarchist sat cross legged, his eyes closed and the knuckles of his fists pressed tightly together. On his chest a ruby soul burned brilliantly, its light blasting out through whatever cracks in the squirming, black tornado that surrounded him it could find.

Endlessly those giggling worms circled up into the shadow sky, gnashing their teeth and wriggling over one another like massive, blood thirsty maggots. It was a striking display of the rot that would soon shape this multiverse, a horror to witness and a terror to hear. The disgusting, writhing darkness and the gross giggles between endlessly clamping - endlessly hungry - jaws.

Gaster stared, eyes wide and pupils shrunken in his sockets. His jaw hung loose as he beheld this power. He could feel its malice in his soul. Its darkness and its evil pierced through him so harshly that his knees buckled, and he dropped down to them, his arms hanging limp at his sides. Beside him, C Frisk stood with ethereal sweat beading down their face, looking thoroughly sickened.

They were reminded - as they always were when they looked upon the alabaster face of Chaos himself - of the day they sat and spoke with him. Six months ago now, when he reached across the table and touched their flesh. Or, they thought he had. Some fearful vision he had caused, and it had poisoned them every day since. Stopping The Anarchist was not just important to them, it was an obsession. They would do whatever it takes.

... Whatever it takes.

"Do what you please." Badster stepped forward, standing between the two of them and death looming in the distance. "But Anarchy is coming. Whether you like it or not, whenever time he decides, Anarchy is coming."

"Prepare. Defend. Run. Hide. It makes no difference." Badster turned to face the two and began walking backwards, fearlessly towards the devastating storm that loomed in the distance. As he spoke, Gaster began to fade back to those pixels, being transported away once again.

 **"The Reunion is set in stone."**

Gaster gasped for breath as he was once more in his home laboratory, having fallen onto his hands and knees. As he desperately sucked air, sweat dropped from his skull, splatting to the ground before him.

"..." Silently C Frisk stood before him, letting their wide eyes drop to the ground as well as they contemplated all they saw and all they knew. But as they slowly began to step back away from Gaster, the doctor lifted his head, and his eyes widened when he saw the certainty and the guilt on his younger associate's face.

"Wait, Frisk..!" Gaster lifted one hand out to C Frisk, but they just shook their head, haunted eyes unblinking before they suddenly disappeared from sight. "Don't-!"

". . ." Gaster let his wide eyes drop back to the floor, along with his out stretched hand. Now alone, his hands slowly curled into fists against the chilled tile.

* * *

There was an eager goat parent on either side of my car when I pulled back into our driveway. Toriel grabbed Chara in a hug, and Asgore grabbed Asriel, and then after about thirty seconds of embracing, they traded children, and continued the huggening. I thought that was a little cute and a lot funny, but I didn't wanna spoil the moment by poking fun at the reunited family.

Frisk was just finishing up hanging a "Happy 19th Birthday!" sign over the front door, standing atop a short ladder which Sans was holding. Or, at least, putting one hand on. The both of them gave us a wave as we pulled up, and I returned the gesture.

From there, we all funneled inside. I was worried at first that things would be awkward with Chara and Asriel around everyone, but things were going surprisingly well. Asriel was catching up with Frisk and Papyrus, while a semi-flustered Chara was talking to Undyne and Monster Kid, no doubt fending off a hundred and one questions about the newfound power of theirs that must have inspired endless wonder in the two.

It was honestly... Really great. Everyone in our big home, all our friends in one place. It put me at ease, made me forget the fears that haunted my dreams, made my stomach a trampoline to bounce food back up after I ate it. I didn't notice at the time, but for the time the party went on, I felt... Happy.

Happy feelings had felt very far away ever since Character, but when surrounded by all my loved ones, I was alive in the moment. No memories of before, no worries for after. Everything was perfect and peaceful and-

 _Ding dong!_

"Oh, could someone get the door?" Toriel called from the kitchen, leaning back to look into the living room full of people with a gentle smile. In her oven mitt covered hands was a pie tin, presumably filled with a warm pastry treat. "I'm a little preoccu-pie'd! Haha!"

"I got it!" I called back, giving Mettaton and Alphys a 'just a sec' as I stood from the couch. I walked carelessly to the doorway, casual smile still on my face. I hardly had time to ponder what friend I could have missed. It felt like I had so many it was almost hard to keep track of.

I turned the door knob, and with a happy, greeting, I pulled it open. "Hey! Glad you could ma-..!"

"Angel!" Lexi grinned joyfully from the other side of the door, not hesitating to jump forward and wrap her arms around me in an excited hug. "It feels like it's been forever!"

And just like that, everything crashed back down on me. The colors faded to black and white around me, all the happy conversations disappeared from my ears. My blood ran cold and my eyes went wide. I didn't have a mirror on hand, but I figured I must've been about as pale as my murder junky albino best friend.

"L-... Lexi..?" I managed to choke out, slowly lifting shaking arms to return her hug as I tried not to hyperventilate.

"Yup!" happily The Predator shook me back and forth, clinging to me with glee. "In the flesh!"

She pulled away after another few moments, planting her hands on my shoulders. She must've seen my expression, because she laughed sheepishly, retracting one hand to scratch the back of her head.

"Sorry I didn't call, wasn't sure if phone numbers are the same after a hop through dimensions, y'know?" She shrugged casually while I stood bewildered. "Plus, I thought it would be more special to talk in person!"

"U-uh... Y-yeah..!" I managed to choke out, forcing a smile that I hoped looked happy to see her again. I mean, it wasn't that I never wanted to see her again, there were about a million things I wanted to say to her, but... _Now_?! completely unannounced?! That's so! So..!

... Eugh... Completely like her... I should have seen this coming...

"I'm sorry, I've been so busy that I didn't have time to get'cha a present, birthday boy." Lexi grinned, holding her arms out to her sides and doing a little pose. "So I hope my visit will be enough!"

"Uhh... Yeah, of course!" I shook my head, trying to jumble my thoughts together and compose myself. Like an idiot, I opened the door further, stepping aside to give her space to come through. "Why don't you come in? We've got plenty of room, and a'course you're welcome!"

*Hahahahahahahaha!

"Why thank ya!" Predator nodded her head gratefully to me, stepping inside a home that, as I myself turned and followed her, I realized was now full of prying eyes.

"Cter, I had no idea you had made more friends without me!" Papyrus marched right up to the two of us, smiling in the welcoming way that he did.

"Uhh, actually, Paps, I've, known her since before I met you guys." I winced some, knowing full well the curiosity that would insight.

I'd left my backstory a mystery for every one of my friends, and they were all understanding enough not to pry. But, I knew full well there had to be a fair bit of wondering behind the scenes, even if no one would ever ask about it. These theories of mine were confirmed when even Papyrus recoiled a little, everyone now giving me and Lexi their full attention.

"Uhm, everyone..?" I timidly gestured to Lexi, who straightened her back and waved politely, despite the slight crookedness of her smile. "... This is Lexi."

"We, sorta... Used to..." Further panic rose in me as my eyes fell to the floor, and I fidgeted, reaching up and scratching the back of my head. With what felt like a crowd of one billion before me, the last word scratched my throat on it's way up. "... Date..."

 _CRASH!_

The glass Chara had been holding dropped from their hand and exploded to glass shards as they stared with eyes about to pop out of their skull. The monsters and other human around them all had similar expressions, Papyrus's bottom jaw quite literally clattering to the floor. Sans' pupils disappeared from his sockets he was so shocked, and Frisk dramatically leaned forward in their seat.

Then, all at once.

 **"WHAT?!"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	40. Chapter 40: Attempted Homicide Blues

**Thanks go to Andyfire123, Wingah, 10burgers, Zack Frost, Doctah Sawbones, Tbone8454, NBoss01, cassianaswindell123, Genowar, cagrijan1904, Skele, Jack54311, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, TheFallenAngel873, Acoolnamme, and sonic245.**

 **To answer your questions TheFallenAngel, Anarchy's powers include his mass amounts of DETERMINATION and his darkness. We just haven't seen the full extent of either yet, not by a long shot. As for other DoubleKids, I don't plan on adding any more than the original four, but there's a slim chance that could change down the line? It's pretty unlikely, though.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

"Geez Angel." Predator leaned over towards me, her eyes not leaving the stunned crowd before us. From the corner of her mouth she spoke. "I think they thought you were gay."

I shot her a glare from the corner of my eye, and she grinned mischievously in response.

"Wait wait wait wait wait!" Frisk jumped to their feet, racing over from the couch. They waved their hands and shook their head, like they were calling for a timeout. They reached me, folded their hands into a pyramid, and pointed the peak at me. "Cter."

"... Yes?" I cocked a brow, clear confusion on my face. I got that this was surprising, but I never would have expected this kind of uproar...

"You," They nodded to me, as if to confirm that I understood they were talking about me. Then, they pointed their finger pyramid to Predator. "Dated her?"

"... Yeaahh?" I slowly nodded my head, narrowing my eyes at them as I theorized what they were getting at. "You trying to say she's outta my league?"

"Yes!" Frisk threw their hands into the air over their head like it was obvious, and I frowned deeply while rolling my eyes. "I mean it's not that you're unattractive, but compared to her-"

Frisk was cut off when I landed a quick jab on their shoulder, my disgruntled expression growing further. They winced, grabbing their now charlie-horsed arm and rubbing it.

"... Your ex is hot, is my point." Frisk said after a moment, and I smiled mirthlessly.

"Thanks, jackass." I spoke, and Lexi laughed, wrapping one arm around my shoulder and surprising me. When my semi-wide eyes darted over to her, she smiled wide and spoke.

"C'mon, give Angel some credit!" Lexi didn't hesitate to reach up with her free hand, pinching my cheek. I could tell she was trying to embarrass me, and it was working, my cheeks dusting a light pink. "He's a big ol' cutie when you get to know him!"

"O-okay!" I stammered, quickly removing her hand from my cheek and taking one long step out from under her arm. "Anyway-!"

"So why are you here?"

The room's attention was caught by Chara, who unlike the rest of my friends, looked a lot less amused and a lot more suspicious. They crossed their arms over their chest, frown plain on their face. Sharp red eyes focused in on Lexi, who lost some of the excitement and playfulness from her attitude. For just a moment, the two were standing at odds, almost glaring at each other. Tension that had not been there a moment ago flooded the room.

"Same reason as you." Predator spoke with a smile, but her tone was different. It was hard to notice, I might've been one of the only people who picked up on it, but there was an edge to her words that was not there before Chara spoke up. "I wanted to see Angel on his birthday."

Now, I know Chara pretty well. I know the expression they make when they're about to say something nasty, and right now that look was plain on their face. But just as they opened their mouth, and my anxiety peaked, Toriel poked her head in from the kitchen with an ex machina.

"Dinner's done!" She smiled in a motherly way, and suddenly Lexi's energy was back as she turned to look at the goat monster. Toriel widened her smile, tilting her head to the side some. "We have plenty of food, Lexi, if you'd like to stay for awhile."

Suddenly, there was a cold gust of wind, and Predator had raced away from my side. She now stood before a clearly bewildered Toriel, grinning thankfully and grabbing one of her paws in both hands. Rapidly she shook the monster's hand up and down, "That sounds great! Thanks so much!"

I stood there, in the doorway, watching in bewilderment as Lexi filtered with my new perfectly happy family into the kitchen. All noise faded out. I just watched her, laughing and smiling as she spoke with ease to Mettaton and Papyrus. Whatever words were exchanged were drowned out by my invasive thoughts.

She was so easy going. So unaware of the world she could shatter with just a few words.

*What are you gonna do now, little Angel?

 **Chapter 40: Attempted Homicide Blues**

 _"... I'm really sorry."_

* * *

I hoped my sweat wasn't visible to everybody else. I stared with shaky eyes into my plate, hearing every mocking word the food uttered up at me. The corn knew my stomach was curled in knot after knot. The stake knew I was too nauseous to take a bite. The mashed potatoes thought it was hilarious how I was so hungry, but moths were eating at my stomach lining.

"So, Lexi," Asgore wore a polite smile, sitting with trained posture and without his elbows on the long table in which we were all seated. He sat diagonally from Predator, who sat to the right of me. To my left was Monster Kid, and to Lexi's right was Asriel. Directly across from Lexi was Toriel, who Frisk sat next to, putting them directly across from me. To their side was Chara. Everyone else was at a different table, purely because there was far too many people here for our one humble dining room table to accommodate. "How long have you and Cter known each other?"

"Hmm... About three years, right?" Lexi arched a brow over at me for confirmation, and I looked up from the food I was hatefully picking at, forcing a casually thoughtful expression while I nodded in agreement. I opted not to speak, as I knew prying my throat open would take too long.

"Yep, three years now!" Predator looked back to Asgore with her big ol', semi-crooked grin slapped on her face.

"Oh? That long huh?" Asgore rose his brows with intrigue, that welcoming smile growing on his face. "You two must have a handful of memories together!"

"Oh, you have no idea." Predator chuckled, leaning one elbow on the table and shaking her head at some presumably silly memories the two of us had together. I couldn't remember the happy times from back then, I was too busy sinking into my collar and trying not to get sick over the terrible times.

"Oh, this is so cute! I had no idea our Angel had a girlfriend before!" Toriel grinned in the giddy way a mother does when the opportunity to embarrass their son in front of a girl presents itself. "I have to know how you two met!"

"Toriel..!" I looked up from under my hair, not fully lifting my head in a poor attempt at hiding my blush. I had one hand on the side of my face, resting my elbow on the table.

"Oh, that little ol' story?" Predator smirked coyly, waving a hand dismissively. She leaned one arm back over the back of her chair, rolling her eyes as if she didn't want to tell this story. "It's nothing big, really. A mutual friend introduced us."

*Mutual friend? Is that what kids are calling gang kingpins these days?

"See, my ol' pal Xander talked him up as this real smart computery guy." Predator leaned onto the back legs of her chair, not batting an eye to all the anxiety and embarrassment I was writhing in. "So, naturally, I thought he would be a total nerd who'd only ever talked to two girls in his life: his mom and his grandma."

*Shockingly accurate assessment despite you never having told her about your childhood.

"And because I think making boys that don't know how to talk to girls squirm is hilarious," It was at this point in the conversation that I slapped both hands over my face to hide its tomato color palette. Everybody must have been too enthralled by Lexi's story however, because nobody took any notice. "I thought I'd go bug him."

"But, you guys know Angel. He's full'a two things: Jokes and confidence." My rapidly rising embarrassment contradicted Lexi perfectly. "Thirty seconds into the conversation and I was laughing and giggling. Turns out he's a total lady killer."

*Certainly an attempted lady killer.

 _Shoot me now..._ I clenched my eyes shut tight under my hands, slowly lowering my head to the table. I was afraid to lift my head, afraid to make eye contact with anybody, and I didn't even know why. This shouldn't be embarrassing, I should have been able to laugh this off. This should have been just as funny to me as it was Lexi.

... But I didn't feel happy. I wasn't having fun. I felt ashamed. I felt afraid. This wasn't a happy reunion with an old friend, this was a terrifying encounter that held everything I held dear hostage.

... I felt ashamed. I couldn't look at anyone. I was afraid everyone was looking at me. I was the most afraid to meet Chara's eyes with my own, and I had no idea why. Somehow, it felt like with Predator here some great lie that I didn't even know about had been revealed. Like up until now I'd been hiding something from them, something that they had a right to know.

... But that didn't make sense. Just the fact that I had an ex girlfriend (Well, a girlfriend that I never officially broke up with but was separated from for six months) was nothing to hide and wasn't anything Chara needed to know. And yet, it changed the dynamic of that weird feeling I experienced around them. The thing that felt like being happy, anxious, and excited all at once.

While usually being around them dulled the anxiety and brought out the excitement and the happiness (and being away from them dulled the happiness and brought out the anxiousness and the excitement) now I was sitting five feet from them and nothing felt happy or exciting. All I felt was worry, shame, and disgust with myself. I was afraid they hated me, that they were glaring at the top of my head, and that their gaze was getting more and more harsh the longer that Lexi spoke of our past.

And oh, she went on and on and on. Endless questions and never ending answers. Everyone talked and laughed at my expense without even knowing it, and I just shrunk further and further under the pressure. The only one who never said a word was Chara. I had no idea what they were doing, what they could possibly have been thinking, and I was too mortified to lift my head and try to gauge their expression.

So there I sat, a coward and a fraud, trying to keep up whatever semblance of comfort and relaxed-ness I could while my stomach burned and throbbed with the desire to vomit. Lucky for me, it was already empty, as it had been since I puked this morning. I guess I must have been a better liar than I thought because no one asked if I was okay. Not until dinner ended, and we all dispersed back into the party to let our food settle and prepare for cake.

Near the staircase Chara stood, crossing their arms and watching Lexi from across the living room with eagle eyes. The black haired woman was chatting with Undyne and MK, and from the smiles and the laughs, it looked like the conversation was going very well for her.

"... I don't like her." Chara eventually said aloud, catching Asriel's attention just as he was passing by. He paused and looked back at them, cocking a brow with some confusion. Then, he followed their gaze, which had never left The Predator, and he mouthed a silent "oh" as he understood who they were speaking of.

"Who, Lexi?" Asriel asked as he turned to face them, furrowing his brows some. "Why's that? She seems really nice."

"Nice?" Chara repeated, their incredulous eyes turning to their adoptive brother with a disbelieving point. "She show up out of nowhere, crashes the party, starts acting like she's everybody's friend-!"

"Comes out of her way to wish Cter a happy birthday, is invited in, is polite and friendly." Asriel listed his corrections, counting them on his fingers while giving Chara an doubtful look. "I don't wanna say you're overreacting, buuuut..?"

"I'm not overreacting!" Chara exclaimed, stamping their foot. "She's up to something! I mean, her and Cter supposedly broke up, but now she's back and acts like everything is A-OK between them? What if she's some crazy person?!"

"... Chara are you sure this isn't about something else?" Asriel squinted his eyes in a dubious expression.

"What else could this possibly be about?!" With frustration Chara threw their hands into the air, clearly aggravated that Asriel was so skeptical.

"..." Asriel pondered his thoughts and what words he could say. He opened his mouth to give the main theory that kept popping into his brain, but then hesitated, shutting his mouth and letting his eyes dart to the side. He muttered under his breathe, "No, that'd be ridiculous..."

"What'd be ridiculous?" Chara furrowed their brows some, but Asriel shook his head, waving a hand dismissively.

"It's nothing." Asriel dismissed, shutting his eyes momentarily to clear that ludicrous theory from his head before continuing. "My point is, I think you should try to keep an open mind. I know you're not the most trusting of new humans."

"..." Chara remained quiet, and Asriel left them to think on that, walking back towards the many friendly faces around the house. They crossed their arms as they watched him leave, expression thoughtful. While leaning their shoulder against the wall they once more let their eyes gloss over to the flawlessly sociable Lexi, watching her talk to people she just met like she'd known them her entire life.

Chara actually _had_ known most of these people for at least a lifetime or two, even if hardly any of them recalled it. Not that they wanted those days reminisced, it was hard enough remembering those things themself. But, this didn't have anything to do with the past. At least, not theirs.

Chara shifted their eyes then, silently scanning over the room before them. They could count out most attendants, but the man of the hour was missing. Cter The Hacker had disappeared behind a shut bathroom door it seemed, one that had been shut for what Chara guessed about fifteen minutes.

Their thought drifted again, skimming through what pieces they had of Cter's past life. He hardly mentioned it these days, but back when they were on opposing sides, it had came up several times. The Hacker had always been vague, but from what he'd said and what Chara could remember on the spot, it was less than a happy life.

 _"... I've destroyed people to get ahead before. You aren't gonna be any different, doesn't matter how many times you come back."_

That quote stuck out to them. The two had said a lot during their 714 battles in the Judgement Hall, and in the vicious looping cycle a lot of those words had been lost to memory. But that sentence had always stayed with Chara.

 _"I have spent a lot of my life being an asshole and here I finally have a shot at being a good person!"_

 _"I cut people down, stabbed them in the back, pushed them away - just to paint a big picture that I wanted."_

Again when the two first met at the beginning of this pacifist run. They found a lot of his words that day hard to forget. They'd never told him that though, didn't believe it was their business. They didn't like talking about their own past, after all. And they understood that everyone who fell down the mountain was running from something.

 _"Did you ever let someone down, Chara? When they needed you the most, did you ever fail someone you cared about?"_

... He'd been particularly talkative when the two had traveled Waterfall together. Talkative, yet wistful. Friendly yet distant. That had been the day Chara'd learned the most about him, they thought. It was strange, he thought he was going to die then. They wondered if he talked so much because he wanted them to remember him as he was. They thought about that a lot.

 _"I don't think I've ever felt happy since that day. I don't think I've felt much of anything at all."_

"..." Chara's jaw clenched, their fingers wrapping tightly around their own biceps before they huffed and uncrossed their arms. With certainty in their step and DETERMINATION in their eye they marched towards that shut bathroom door.

* * *

 _Okay, don't hurl... For the love of god don't hurl..._ I was leaned over the bathroom sink, breathing labored slightly. I hadn't vomited, I hadn't done anything physically draining, and yet my heart was pounding and no gulp of oxygen seemed nearly big enough.

*You don't have to worry about that. Your stomach hasn't held food in three days and you haven't taken a bite of anything in at least twenty four hours.

"... Then why do I still feel like something is coming up..?" I narrowed my weak and dull eyes into the endless dark of the sink's drain. My fingers wrapped their pathetic grip around the edges of the granite surrounding the sink, hands shaky and palms sweaty.

*It's probably just something else from your past. Don't worry about it.

"Ha... Haha..." My lips curled in a smile fit for a death row inmate. Melancholic in all the harshest of ways. "You're a funny guy, Texty... Too bad you went that whole serial killer route, you woulda made at least a B- comedian..."

*Your life is the only comedy I need.

"..." I shut my eyes, inhaling slowly and deeply. I disregarded Texty's statement; it was easy to do. All he ever said was mean spirited, and I didn't have anywhere near the respect for him to listen to a word. "... How long have I been in here?"

*Twenty minutes.

"... I should get back out there." I managed to lift my head, staring into my own reflection with some semblance of my DETERMINATION. It was hard to see, through the doubtful ocean of sorrows. But that too I covered, spending another minute or two trying to bleed some kinda life into my eyes. I eventually found a good mask for my emotions, slapped it on, and turned to the door.

*Good luck. You're going to need it.

I pulled open the door with a fake smile on my face, trying to convince anyone that might see me that I really wanted to be here and was having a great time. Unfortunately, I hadn't exactly been prepared to have someone waiting right there for me.

"Ah!" I jumped back and out of the doorway, reentering the bathroom and throwing my hands up in a defensive motion surprisingly poor for someone who's been in as many fights as I have. On the other side of the now open door Chara furrowed their brows. There was mostly concern in their eyes, but there were also undertones of some kind of drive, and I knew they were here for answers.

"Easy." Chara cocked a brow, lifting their hands to show that they meant no harm. Clearly my surprised mini-scream had caught them off guard, and had this been less serious, I figured they probably would have gotten a kick out of it. "It's just me."

"O-oh, yeah, sorry!" I forced a sheepish smile, reaching up one hand and scratching the back of my head. "Guess I wasn't paying attention, ehehe..."

"It's... Fine?" With growing suspicion Chara tilted their head some, keeping those confused eyes on me. "You uh... You were in here for awhile."

"Huh? O-oh! Yeah, uhh..." I tried not to grimace, but I wasn't sure if I was successful or not. Rapidly I searched for an excuse, some kind of lie. Quickly I found one that was uncomfortable enough to hopefully scare Chara off of the subject. "Well, something I ate at dinner didn't really sit right-"

"You didn't eat anything at dinner."

My eyes darted back to Chara, widening some as I found my verbal foot in a metaphorical bear trap. Their own eyes were squinted some, a small frown on their face. They were certain I was lying now, I'd been caught red handed.

"You picked and pushed at your food while you kept your head down, like you didn't even wanna look at anyone." More worry crept into their expression, lightening it some while they took a short step closer. They tilted their head, like they were trying to get a better look at me. "You've been acting weird ever since Lexi showed up..."

"W-what? Me? Weird?" I tried my best to play things off, but it was hard to lie when I so desperately wanted to tell the truth. Words were a lump in my throat and a knot in my stomach, but still I stumbled and lied. "C'mon Chara, don't worry so much! I'm-"

"Sweating." Chara finished my sentence for me, and this time I know they saw me grimace. I was under the full force of the Char-Bear Stare now, and there was no way to save myself. "You're sweating."

"..." Hopelessly I glanced to the side, my fake smile crumbling while my shoulders sank. Meekly I lied again, though I knew it was pointless. "... I'm fine, Chara. Really..."

"... Angel, if something is going on, you can tell me." Chara reached out then, placing one hand on my shoulder. This made me lift my head some, looking to them from under my eyebrows with my sad little eyes. "I'm your friend. I'm here to help you."

"..." I didn't speak. Couldn't, really. I just stood there, so many words trying to escape my throat at once that they all got jammed in the door frame. Lies, truths, everything in between. But, nothing came out, so I just shut my mouth, letting my empty emeralds drop to the floor.

"... Does this have something to do with Lexi?" Chara asked quietly, leaning in some so that it would be harder for any possible eavesdroppers to hear them. "You've been off ever since she got here."

They hesitated then, their own eyes turning to the side. Still though they proved stronger than I, reaching up and scratching the back of their head as they forced their words out. "You aren't usually like this... I'm, really worried..."

I was surprised when I heard that. I lifted my head again, widening my eyes some up at them. I hadn't expected to hear that, and it was some parts nice and some parts ouch-inducing. I was glad Chara was worried about me - it brought back the happy and excited factors of that screwy mixed bag I'd been feeling, even if it was only for a moment - but at the same time, I felt bad for worrying them.

Finally I managed to open my mouth, words pushing their way through the uncertainty. "... Chara, I-"

"Yooo! Angel!" In an instant Lexi had appeared, wrapping one arm around Chara and leaning over their shoulder. I could tell Chara didn't like that, but they withheld their irritation, at least for the moment. "What's up?"

"Y'all havin' a bathroom bash?" Those eyes darted between Chara and I, friendly smile never leaving Predator's face. "A potty party? Latrine luau?"

Chara narrowed their eyes with growing rage, but still their lips snapped upwards into a smile that was anything but convincing. "Actually, we were just-"

"So Angel!" Lexi let go of Chara, cutting them off mid sentence in a clear - and possibly deliberate - display of how little their words mattered to her. She stepped forward, standing between the two of us. "I've got good news!"

"What is it, Lex..?" I tried my best to sound and look interested and excited, but I don't think I was very convincing. Lexi must not have noticed though, because she kept that same high energy she'd had all night.

"Well, I was talking to Toriel about the long trip back home, and she had a great idea!" Lexi beamed with enthusiasm, but I felt a few more boulders drop into my stomach. I was catching on to what she was getting at, and I didn't like it. "She offered me the spare bedroom for the night!"

"Oh, really? Toriel did that?" I forced a smile, even though my teeth were grinding with frustrations pointed towards the motherly goat. As much as I wanted to be angry with her though, I couldn't fault her for being friendly. She didn't have any idea of the trouble she was causing me. "That's... So nice of her!"

"Yeah I know!" Lexi grinned wide, standing up straight and putting her hands on her hips. "We're gonna get to stay up all night catchin' up! It's gonna be awesome!"

"Haha..!" I forced a smile, even though I felt like the tinniest, most pathetic man in the world. I couldn't help but shoot a look past Lexi to Chara, who was clenching their jaw, glaring into the back of The Predator's head. I wasn't sure if it was the interruption of our conversation, the blatant disregard for what Chara was saying a moment ago, or just Lexi herself, but something had _clearly_ pissed them off. "Y-yeah, it'll be great..!"

"Yeahh... Y'know, I was thinking about that too." Chara caught Lexi's attention this time, getting her to turn her head back to look at them. They had a smile that was friendly on the surface, but anyone who looked a little deeper would see the barbs that were attached, to both their words and their smile. "It's a long walk back up the mountain, and I don't wanna make anyone drive me home. I think I'll just camp out in the living room over night."

"Well, that's..." Lexi shook her head slowly, her excited grin slowly morphing into that same malice hiding smile. "That's great!"

I looked between the two, eyebrows risen with some surprise and confusion. Even though they were both smiling, it was like I could see the lightning shooting from both of their eyes. Red and blue sparks that struck one another in the middle, struggling endlessly against each other.

 _I... Feel like I'm missing something..?_ I thought to myself, eyes narrowing with growing confusion as they glossed between the two.

*I'll explain it when you're older.

I shot a scowl Texty's way, before swallowing my nerves, shaking my head, and taking a step forward. I reached out, boldly slapping a hand upon each of their shoulder's as my own fake smile appeared on my face. A triangle of liars we were in that moment, all pretending to be content with this moment when not one of us was. Still, my sudden entry to the triangle caught both Chara and Lexi off guard. This gave me the chance to stop their glarings and change the subject.

"Hey, this is great!" I shut my eyes tight and grinned as wide as I could, hoping desperately that I could convince the two of them of my joy. "Now, who's feeling like cake?"

"Sounds _great_!" Both Chara and Lexi spoke at once with just as (too) much enthusiasm as me, before shooting each other a brief out-of-the-corner-of-the-eye glare.

From there, the night continued about as good as it could have with so much tension right beneath the surface. I blew out the candles on my cake and wished for today to end, but that didn't help much. I managed to scrape my slice of cake into the trash when no one was looking, and my stomach both hated and loved me for it.

Time passed, and one by one people started heading home. They had their talks and their laughs and all the catching up that could be done. Sans was even nice enough to teleport Asriel back home, which made me question why I'd even driven up there to retrieve the two earlier in the day, but I digress. I hardly remember much of it, my mind was preoccupied. All I know is time crawled and time raced and then eventually people were heading to bed. It was somewhere in there that things got turned on their heads.

Chara was getting set up on the couches downstairs, and Lexi and I were up the staircase and at the end of the hallway. Everyone else had returned to their rooms. I pushed open the door to the guest bedroom, stepping aside and holding it open to let her step inside.

With that same excitement and wonder in her eyes she looked over the pretty plain room. A twin bed with a bedside table, bookshelves lining one wall, a single window at the back wall of the room. I knew she was just trying to keep up her positivity, it often made those around her equally positive and giddy. She was contagious in that way, though her energy hardly infected me. Maybe that's why she'd been attracted to me back then.

But, that wasn't my concern now. I took a deep breath, shut my eyes, and gathered my will. Then, I slowly shut the door behind the two of us, cutting us off from the rest of the world. The sound of the door shutting caught her attention, and she looked over her shoulder at me with some surprise.

"Whoa there cowboy." A playful smirk tugged at her lips as she turned to face me. "I mean, you did technically get me dinner first, but-"

"Lexi." My words shut her down, made that joking demeanor fade for a more confused one. Hand still on the door nob, I opened my eyes. I didn't turn my head, but I looked to her from my left eye's corner. "What are ya doin' here?"

"... Jig's up, huh?" That fake giddiness completely disappeared from The Predator's face, and she sighed, smiling in a way that was a little sad. "It really is good to see you again, Angel."

"..." I watched her for another moment or two, not dropping my guard. Maybe it was my sleep and food deprived brain, but I felt certain that she was here for revenge. That she knew of my betrayal, and she was here to destroy everything I had worked for. Would she fight? Was she powerful? Or was she planning something more cruel? Would she tear this all down from the inside? With all these thoughts in my head I must have forgotten to respond, because Lexi's smile got a little more sad, and she spoke once more.

"... Look, I get it." She said, and I quietly furrowed my brows with some confusion. "To everyone here, you're a hero. You've got an image, and... I was around when you weren't doing such... Heroic things."

I remained quiet, but my expression softened some as she spoke. My paranoia dulled, but I still didn't talk. I watched as she went on.

"That's why I tried to keep it casual down there. I'm sorry if that made you feel like I was lying to you." Lexi was focused now, speaking clearly with a somber hint to her words. "I just... Wanted to hang out with you again. Before things got serious."

"Serious..?" I repeated, slowly removing my hand from the door knob and turning to face her. The room was alight in a dull blue glimmer, the full moon looming through the window.

"..." Lexi hesitated, shutting her eyes. She took a deep breath, and I found it strange that her exhale left a small puff of icy mist. Then, she lifted her head, and those aquamarine gems landed right back on me. The gravity of that gaze combined with the words she spoke floored me, forced me to step back and lean my spine against the door behind me. "It's Anthony."

"..." I stared at her, hoping that the sweat on my brow and the terror in my eyes was masked in the dark. I knew my gulp was audible, but I figured Predator of all people would know that was reasonable. I had to swallow what felt like vomit climbing the back of my throat, and then I finally spoke. "... What about him?"

"Look, I don't know how much you've been paying attention to the multiverse, but Anarchy has been going completely apeshit." Predator widened her eyes some, and their cyan glow illuminated her face in the dim moonlight.

*..?

Once again I swallowed hard, but I managed to lean my head forward. The room had pressurized, the air had grown thin. Suddenly every dark shadow in every dark corner twitched just outside our lines of vision. Hairs rose on my neck, it felt as though something was looking over my shoulder despite the fact that my back was against the door. "... Apeshit how?"

"Like full fledged unstoppable god of destruction carving a death path across the multiverse towards _you_." When I saw Predator lift her finger and point it my way, my knees buckled. I hoped that she didn't see my chest convulse as my stomach tried to shove bile up my esophagus.

*...

"M-me?" I repeated, like I didn't understand. But of course I understood. Anarchy seemed invincible before we got here, of course he was powerful now. Of course I was his target. All of his most miserable moments were my fault, I was sure. And he must have been sure of that as well.

"Things have changed _a lot_ in the past six months." Lexi lowered her head some, looking to me from under her eyebrows. There was a serious frown carved into her face now, like nothing I've ever seen. "I run a gang of space pirate mercenaries, Xander is building an army of dipshit followers, and Anthony has been ripping and tearing through timelines like nobody's business."

"Lex, you're throwin' a lotta information at me at once." I managed a very nervous smile despite the onsetting panic attack. Not only was everyone alive, but they'd all been amassing so much power while I was... While I was just...

*Sitting with a thumb up your ass.

"I know, I know!" Lexi shook her head, like internally she was scolding herself for being stupid. Then, suddenly, she reached out, gripping my sunken shoulders and staring right into my cowardly eyes. "Look, I'll get straight to the point. I need your help, Angel."

"My help?!" I repeated like the parrot I'd been this entire conversation. "You're the one with the group of space pirates or whatever, what could you possibly need my help for?!"

"Anthony!" Predator forced his name into my ears, and it made me shutter. Her grip tightened on me, and I could see the desperation in the ice blue spheres staring back at me. "He's going down a dark path, Angel! And you n' me are the only friends he's ever had, we have to help him!"

"I was friends with _Anthony_. Anarchy can go fuck himself." My eyes narrowed with their own chill, and I reached up with one hand, lightly gripping one of Predator's on my shoulder. "He's not _going_ down a dark path, Lexi. He's at the end of it. Are you really trying to tell me you want to _help_ him?"

"He's still in there, Angel." Lexi's voice was a low growl now, a chill creeping into the hands that held me there. "I've seen it!"

"... We both saw that basement." I spoke after a pause, lowering my voice and narrowing my emerald eyes. The shadows were really writhing now, slithering like piles of filthy black maggots in every corner of the room. "Anthony died down there, and whatever climbed back out is just wearing his face."

"That's not true!" Predator cried furiously, yanking back the hand that I wasn't holding. She flattened her palm and prepared an open handed slap to knock some kind of sense into me, but I wasn't having it. By the wrist her swing was caught, stopping her strike dead.

For a moment, things were quiet. We stood there, glaring into each others eyes and holding each other in place. The gravity of the world around us held us there, kept us silent for a few long seconds. But, finally, Lexi lowered her head, staring at our feet and speaking in a whisper.

"... I owe him my life, Angel." Her eyes narrowed painfully at the floor, both of her hands clenching into tight, frustrated fists. "That day, the one where we were all separated..."

"... When things went sideways, when the gang turned on us, he..." The Predator's eyes clenched shut tightly, but her fists slowly relaxed. I knew this was hard for her to say, so I hung on to every word. "... He made an opening, and told me to run."

"..." My expression softened some, genuine surprise changing my face to show something more thoughtful. Her words shocked me. I wouldn't have believed it from anyone else, but I knew Lexi wasn't a liar. I never thought it possible, that The Anarchist had a selfless bone in his body. I could barely voice my confusion, "... Anarchy did that..?"

"Anthony did that." Lexi corrected as she lifted her head to look at me once more. In the moonlight, the single tear making its way down her cheek glimmered some, before disappearing off her chin.

With the breath taken from my lungs and the metaphorical rug pulled out from under me, I slowly let go of Lexi's hands. She lowered her arms, but she didn't step back. In fact, she stepped forward, hesitantly resting her head on my chest for comfort. This stunned me, made pain seep into my eyes while my jaw clenched pensively. I was frozen there, hurtful memories of all my lies and deceit ringing in my mind.

 _"... Angel... Am I a bad person..?"_

"I was a coward, Angel... Please..." She begged quietly, raising her arms and slowly wrapping them around me. I knew how much this had to hurt for her, begging anyone for help. I knew that this burden must have hurt her, too. Lexi was prideful, she'd grown up in a world where vulnerability meant weakness, and weakness meant death. For her to have believed she'd been a coward for this long... It must have been eating her alive. "You're the only one who can help me with this, _please_..."

"... You're the only person I can trust..."

My eyes snapped open wide when those words drove a spear through my chest. Agony throttled me, punched me in the gut, slapped me across the back of the head. Quickly a conclusion was reached in my head from those words alone.

 _... She doesn't know._

"... Alright, Lex." I finally spoke, lifting my arms skeptically and embracing her. I hoped that felt nice for her, because every bit of it felt wrong to me. It was my fault, everything was my fault. She thought she could trust me when it was me who put a knife in her back. Still I lied through my teeth. Still I pledged myself to something I didn't wholeheartedly believe in, just to reassure her. "... I'll help you save Anthony."

"Really..?" She lifted her head to look up at me, and I put on the bravest smile a coward like me could muster. That made her expression lighten some, in spite of the tear stains on her cheeks. With a slight crackle in her voice, she spoke. "I knew the water works would getcha, heh..."

I laughed a little, my smile made just a little more genuine. As disgusted as I was by myself and my former actions, there was something that felt... Nice about being close to her again. I'd been so terrified of my secrets being revealed that I hadn't really taken the time to realize I was glad Lexi was alive, I was glad I had gotten to see her again.

"... But, if I'm gonna do this, it needs to stay a secret, okay?" I asked carefully, a pleading look in my eye as I stared down at her. "Here, I'm... I'm Cter The Angel."

Shamefully, my eyes darted to the side. "I can't let them know about my time as Angel The Hacker..."

Predator smiled a little sadly, but she nodded like she understood. "I'll leave early in the morning tomorrow. You can slip away and meet me outside of town when you get the chance, okay?"

"Gotcha." I nodded convincingly, unwrapping one arm from around her and reaching back to grab the knob of the door behind me. "You can brief me more once I'm, uhh... On your, space, pirate ship..?"

"That's what it is, yup!" Predator grinned wide, letting go of me and taking a step back. She wiped away those tear stains, and smiled like they were never there. I always thought it was amazing, the way she always bounced right back.

"Alright, well, I better get some sleep." The corner of my mouth curved up a little from her smile, turning the knob of the door and slowly pushing it open. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Lex."

I stepped into the hallway and away from Lexi, reaching back for the knob to pull the door shut behind me. But, my hand was caught in hers, and I arched a brow over my shoulder at her, some part confused and some part surprised.

"Hey, uhm, Angel... Thanks. Really." Lexi awkwardly scratched the back of her head, eyes darting to the side. It was dark, but I thought I could see a shade of pink appearing on her cheeks. "I, I know this is a big risk for you. You've got a good thing going here, and I... I really respect that you were able to turn things around for yourself like this."

"Oh! Uhm, wow... Thanks, Lexi." I smiled lightly from her words, suddenly not all that bothered by having her hand in mine. "That... Really means a lot."

"No problem." She smiled a little when she looked back at me, but then she hesitated. Her eyes scanned the wall at her side once more, before she spoke again. "... But, I kinda... Miss having you around."

My eyebrows rose with a little surprise at that, and as I caught on to what she meant, my heart sunk with guilt.

"Ahem." Lexi cleared her throat, smiling sheepishly back up at me. "My point is, I've seen what you can do, before and after the fall. My team could really use you as a permanent addition."

"And... Who knows?" That red shade upon Lexi's cheeks grew a little darker, and she gave a little shrug to match the little smile she wore. "Maybe we could pick up where we left off?"

My eyes widened some, and despite the color in her face, my own had went pale. She really didn't know. I'd plotted her murder, ruined her life, but... She trusted me. Six months and she still wanted to...

*She cared about you and you stabbed her in the back. We knew this part already.

"You don't have to make any decisions right now, okay?" With understanding she smiled, before taking a step forward. She leaned in, planting an innocent peck on my cheek before taking a step back through the doorway. "Just, something worth considering, I think."

The door shut between us, and the moment she couldn't see me, my stomach gurgled mercilessly. My eyes snapped open wide, and I lurched forward, wrapping my arms around myself in attempt to hold my abdomen together. My head snapped to the side as bile raced up my esophagus, and eyes choked bloodshot spotted the staircase leading downstairs.

Swiftly I raced for the same bathroom I always spilled my guts in, nyooming down the stairs as though a fire had been lit under my ass. Through the living room, past the kitchen, and right into the toilet bowl. I dropped to my knees before porcelain release and finally let my jaws unlock.

Disgusting green bile blasted up from my throat, spewing past my jaws and out from both my nostrils. Loudly I hurled, stomach violently convulsing just under my skin. Boiling hot stomach acid was launched into the previously clean waters, staining them a gross yellow-green shade. I was blasted with the smell and taste of my own sewage, and that just made me puke up even more.

For another few seconds this went on, until finally my stomach stopped its tightening, and I gasped for air. Of course, all I inhaled was the putrid odor of the hot garbage I'd just spilt in the toilet, and that scorched my lungs something fierce. I didn't have the strength to free myself from this stink yet, so instead I laid my head pathetically on the toilet seat, gasping and whimpering like the filthy gutter dog I was.

Finally, enough strength bled back through my nutrient deprived body that I managed to push myself away from the toilet. Vision blurry in my delirium I fumbled for the flush, but eventually found it, filling the now noiseless void with the hiss of the water for a second or two while I stumbled to my feet.

I managed to drag my less than responsive limbs to the sink, which I lurched over. A quiet squeak resounded as I turned the nozzle and let a stream of cool relief fall from the spout. I huddled there, elbows resting on the counter while I splashed water over my face, washing away the gross streams that still trickled from my burning nose and down my chin and the sweat that beaded down my forehead with all its icy chill.

 _Okay Angel... Keep it together..._ I thought to myself while keeping my eyes shut, hand fumbling over the counter for the mouth wash I'd placed down here for this very occasion. I found it, right where I'd left it, and dragged it over to me. A few more moments went by before I finally lifted my head, now wish washing a mouthful of Listerine between my teeth. _You can make it through this..._

My emerald orbs lifted, and I stared myself in the eye for a few long, painful seconds. I could see every bit of self loathing on my face, every spec of disgust and hate, all aimed right back at me. But then, I noticed something else. In the shadow of the door frame scarlet spheres peered at me, and for just a moment, I thought I saw that little albino boy staring at me, like he did every time I spilled my guts in the dark.

"Angel..?"

... But those eyes were too high up.

As Chara stepped into view, and I spotted the utterly mortified expression they wore, my jaw slacked, sending mouthwash spilling down my chin and into the sink below. I'd screwed the pooch, shit the bed. In my panic I had completely forgotten Chara was staying in the living room. I had to have bolted right by them, and they had to have heard - and possibly seen - every second of me puking my guts out.

*Better think fast.

"U-uh..!" I managed to stammer, panic clear on my face while I watched the worry on theirs grow.

*Brilliant.

"Cter, what's going on?" Chara questioned, taking a step closer. I took a step back though, not even trying to mask just how afraid I looked. The jig was up. There was nothing I could say that could convince them, I knew that. They were going to find out, everyone was going to find out! "Why aren't you saying anything..?"

"I-I'm fine." I spoke quickly, trying to step by them. They moved in my way though, blocking my escape. I lowered my head, tried to escape through the other side, but they reached out and put an arm in my path. Hair shadowing my eyes, I tried desperately to push by them. That seemed to be what made Chara decide they'd had enough however, because they grabbed me by my shoulders, yanking me back in front of them.

"Cter!" They spoke forcefully, shaking me once to help me get myself together. I knew they could see it in my eyes. The terror, the desperation, the guilt. I wanted to tell them everything. It was hard to lie any longer, especially to them. But I was afraid. More so than I'd ever been. They were afraid too, I could see it in their own eyes. Worried for me, as all my layers and walls bent and melted down under the pressure that was crashing down on top of them. "You're freaking me out! Just tell me what's going on! _Please_!"

"I can't tell you..!" I spoke with panicked quickness, shaking my head from side to side. My vision was blurring, and I could feel the heat of tears beginning to over flow down my cheeks. "Please don't make me tell you..!"

"... Angel..." Chara's expression softened, eyes narrowing some as they watched me. Their expression was grave, I could see just how much seeing me like this upset them. That made me hurt worse. I wanted to be stronger, I didn't want them or anyone else to have to see me like this. "... I can't help you if I don't know what's going on..."

... But I couldn't hold it in any longer. The truth and all the guilt it brought was a parasite, eating me alive from the inside. So, desperately, I stepped forward. I lowered my head, resting it against their chest for any kind of support. In barely a whisper, I spoke through my tears. "... I'm scared, Chara..."

"Why are you scared..?" Their voice was quiet as they slowly wrapped their arms around me. Caring and comforting and... Understanding.

"..." I slowly lifted my arms, returning their hug. I wasn't sure how tightly I was clinging to them, but I did know that anyone who would try to pry me off would have to break both of my arms first. "I-I... I can't tell you..."

"Why can't you?" Chara asked in a tone that was not upset nor demanding, resting one hand on the back of my head. It was as though they knew my mind was splitting apart, and they were holding it together.

"..." My eyes clenched shut tight, forcing more streams of tears down the bridge of my nose. My teeth ground in an attempt to keep the words from overflowing, but it was impossible. Slowly my fingers curled into tight fists on the back of their shirt. "Because if I do you'll hate me..."

"Angel, think about who you're talking to, okay..?" Chara asked of me, empathy shining through. "You know me. You know everything we've been through together. You know there's nothing you could tell me that would make me hate you."

"..." Slowly, I opened my eyes. My jaw relaxed, and my hands unwrapped from the back of their shirt. I knew they were right, but I didn't know how to feel about it. I'd never told anyone what I'd done, outside of an... Imaginary version of my deceased (or so I thought at the time) best friend? It was hard to imagine the words actually leaving my mouth. Still, though, I spoke. "I've... I've done so many horrible things, Chara... It could take forever to list it all..."

They smiled a little at that, smoothing the hair on the back of my head gently with the palm of their hand. In a hushed tone they responded, "I've got time."

It felt good to hear that. That someone was willing to listen, hear me out no matter how long it took. So, I took a deep breath and gathered my strength before speaking again. "... You promise you won't hate me..?"

"I promise." The corner of their mouth curved up a little further from that, clearly relieved to see me opening up some. They didn't hesitate in answering my question, like they knew the answer long before I asked.

"... And you won't tell anyone..?" I lifted my head just a little to look up at them, and they nodded.

"Not if you don't want me to." Chara assured once more without any hesitation.

"..." I lowered my head, getting myself together before slowly letting go of them. I took a step back, looked back up to them, and wiped the tear stains from my cheeks. Weakly I managed to smile, afraid and relieved all at once. "... C'mon. I don't this is the right setting for a talk like this."

Quietly, Chara and I made our way through the house and to the kitchen, at the end of which there was a sliding glass door that lead into the backyard. The yard was fenced in with brown planks, its edges lined by a multitude of different colored flowers. Near its center was a swinging bench, perfectly illuminated like everything else under the cloudless night sky.

It was a warm September night, possibly one of the last warm nights of the year. We sat on that bench, looked up at the endless sky. And suddenly, the both of us were so small. All of our might and all of our weakness felt like something little, nothing to fret over. That made talking easier, I think. Reminded me that life was bigger than my problems.

I told them... Everything. From my earliest memories with my less than capable parents to the moment I shot The Killer in the head. At first I thought I would withhold information, just explain everything that happened in the gang and with Lexi. But the moment I opened the floodgates, words overflowed, and the gates could not be shut again. Anything I could remember I explained.

My early childhood friendship with Anny, and all the horrors he had tried to hide just beneath the surface. Chara had shuddered when I described the beating that I witnessed his mother give him through the window, and put a hand on my back to comfort me when I expressed my regrets on abandoning him with that she-beast.

My time with Granny, and her untimely demise right before my eyes. They had smiled and laughed when I told them how me and the lovable old bat met, and grimaced and winced when I described how The Killer had broken my bones, shattered my body.

Quietly they listened while I explained my years as The Hacker. Their expression was hard to read while I told them about the tension between Anarchy and I, described the monster he had become in our time apart. I told them how I felt about Lexi in those days, how I liked having her around, but I thought she needed more than I was able to give.

... Then, I... Told Chara about the people I killed. All the time I spent, plotting the murders of the ones who trusted me more than anything. The night before, when I spoke to Lexi and even Anarchy. How Anarchy had been on to me, but unable to prove anything. How long Lexi and I had spoken, how much I'd learned about her that night.

... And how I still went through with everything the next day.

Finally, I explained my last encounter with The Killer. Everything we said to each other, how much I loved watching him crumble. The fact that no matter what he said, who he predicted me to become, I still felt nothing but certainty in splattering his brains on the grass.

"... 'Your fate will be sealed', he told me." I recalled, head tilted back and arms resting over the back of the bench. "'You'll be just like me'. Those words never left me."

"... And what did you say..?" Chara slowly tilted their head to the side as they watched me, wearing an expression that said they were listening to every word.

"... 'I don't give a damn. You killed my Granny.'" While I quoted myself, I tilted my head back down, lifting my left hand and making a finger gun with it. I pointed to the grass at our feet, and then recoiled the finger gun back up, like I'd fired it. "Bang."

"... Whoa. Dark." Chara's eyes went semi-wide, and they looked ahead. I rested my arm back over the back of the swing while they processed the picture I painted.

"Watched the brain chunks splatter out the back of his head." I blinked coldly, a deep frown engraved in my face. I always felt strangely distant when I thought about those days. It reminded me of how numb I had been, always made me feel a strange ghost of my old emotions - or lack there of. "... Never even blinked."

"You or him?" Chara turned their head to look back at me with a curious arch of their brow.

"Yes." I answered simply, my eyes narrowing only a little. I felt a tinge of bitterness when I remembered his face. Those unfeeling eyes forever open as he head slumped over, red streaming down from his forehead and over the rest of his face.

"..." Chara watched me quietly for another few long seconds, before they finally spoke again. "Then what did you do?"

It was at this point that I groaned, tilting my head forward and shaking it. "I fell down a hole and landed in Mount Ebbot, a whole reality away."

"W-wait, what?!" Chara recoiled, clearly jarred by my words as their ruby orbs snapped open wide. "After all that you just... Got the rug pulled out from under you and fell into another world?!"

"Anticlimactic, right?" I smirked bitterly over at them, finally turning my lightless emeralds on them. Only for a moment though, before my smirk faded, and I turned my head back to the stars. "Guess that's just how life works sometimes, though. Sometimes forces beyond your control turn the wheel. It's your job to navigate the unexpected detour, though."

"... I guess you have a point there." Chara relaxed some, before they too turned their head to the lightening sky. Their eyes darted over to me, "I suppose I know the rest of the story from there, don't I?"

"Pretty much everything." I spoke, before something dawned on me, and my eyes narrowed a little painfully. "... Everything up until a few days ago, that is."

"Hm?" Chara furrowed their brows, turning their head over to look at me. I had lowered my own head, hands on the knees of my jeans. "What happened a few days ago?"

"... Character told me they were alive. All three of them." My fingers curled into fists against my jeans, and the anxieties that were more pressing began washing over me. Up until now we'd been discussing the past, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the future. "And that they've... 'Had their eyes on me'."

"... As we saw today," I glanced over my shoulder and back towards the house, recollecting all the horrible events that transpired within it today. "That wasn't a lie."

"... Angel." Chara caught my attention, and I turned my head back to look at them. Their expression had grown less concerned and understanding and more serious. They too understood the possible gravity of Lexi's arrival. "Why did she come here, really?"

"..." My eyes lowered painfully, before I turned my head, looking out to the beautiful land ahead. Perfectly cared for flowers, a clean and wide open sky. It was a wonderful place, the world I had surrounded myself with. But, with what I knew now, it didn't seem like a happy life anymore. It felt like a blanket I was cowering under. "... It's Anarchy."

"Anarchy..?" Chara lowered their voice, as if even though they'd just learned it, they already understood that it was a forbidden name. To the name's credit, I once more felt the desire to look over my shoulder. Again I thought I could see movement in the dark, just outside my line of vision. "What about him?"

"According to Lexi, he sacrificed himself to save her when... Well, when my trap sprung." Shamefully my eyes darted to the side, frown cracking deeper into my face. "She thinks there's still some Anthony in there."

"... She thinks we can save him..."

"... And what do you think?" Chara asked thoughtfully, turning their knees to face mine as we both sat on the bench.

"... It's hard to say." I brought my hands together in my lap, gently pushing my heels into the dirt below us. This slowly rocked out seat back, before it calmly swung forward. "For a long time I thought Anarchy was dead. For even longer than that I thought Anthony was dead. But..."

"... But you have to try." Chara's words made me lift my head and look over to them, and I was a little surprised to see a small smile on their face. This reassured me, however, and I returned their kindness with my own smile.

"... Yeah. I think I have to." I said with a nod that was only a little hesitant, knowing Chara's words were true. "If Anarchy is out there hurting people, I'm responsible for it too."

"I had plenty of chances to save him back then, and I didn't." I lifted my head, looking up to the sky. It was getting lighter now, the stars were starting to disappear into a light shade of blue. The night had really flown by, I thought. I guess giving your entire life story does take some time. "If there's still a chance I can help him, then... I have to take it. No matter the risk."

Chara's smile faltered some by the end of that sentence, and they suddenly squinted with suspicion. "And what kind of risks are we talking here?"

"Well... Anarchy was basically a walking _Slipknot_ song before we ended up here. But with a red soul on his chest?" I turned my head some, arching a brow over at Chara. "Well, I haven't seen anything or been given any examples, but Lexi described him as a 'full fledged unstoppable god of destruction carving a death path across the multiverse towards me'."

"..." Chara rose their eyebrows with surprise, blinked a few times like I'd really stunned them. But then, their lips curled up some, and they shook their head, laughing and reaching up. Exasperatedly they ran a hand down their face.

"Wow, Cter. I don't know what to say." they looked back to me, shrugging like they were baffled. "You really can't catch a break, can you?"

Despite the direness of my situation and the truth in their words, something about their exasperated snickering was contagious. Soon enough I was laughing and shrugging too, because it was nice to hear someone else just as overwhelmed by my problems as I was. Suddenly, I didn't feel all that alone. "Apparently not!"

"Well, look." Chara took on a more serious tone while our laughter died down, though their slight smile remained. "It doesn't matter how strong this guy is, together we can beat him!"

My eyes widened some at those words. I watched them clench one fist and raise it, a confident smirk shaping their face into some expression that was... Hard _not_ to stare at? Something about it caught me off guard, made that foreign emotion spike higher than it ever had before. I had told them every nasty secret I had, and yet they could still smile at me like that. They were never disgusted, never questioned my morality for a second. In fact, they'd supported me, remained on my side through my entire story.

Gradually though, Chara's expression changed. They rose an eyebrow, a certain measure of genuine confusion gracing their face. It was a second or two before they spoke that I realized I hadn't inhaled in about thirty seconds. "Uhm, Cter? You in there?"

I gasped loudly, lurching forward and planting a hand on my chest as my burning lungs were extinguished. In between gulps for air, I gave them a thumbs up. I kept my head tilted away, trying to hide the embarrassed red that scorched my cheeks. "Y-yeah! All good! S-sorry!"

Chara snickered once they knew I was okay, lifting one hand to their mouth to try and hide their laughing, possibly to keep from embarrassing me further. "Uhm, okay. If you're sure."

After a few very long - at least to me - moments of gathering my composure, I took another deep breath. Shutting my eyes and lowering my head, I resolved myself to keep the tone of this conversation unfortunately serious for at least awhile longer. I still had more to say, was the problem.

"... Hey, Chara. Listen."

"Hm?" Chara looked back over to me, tilting their head some with curiosity. "What is it, Cter?"

"... I, I think you should stay here." I managed to say, not lifting my head so that I wouldn't have to see their undoubtedly hurt expression. "While Lexi and I go to find Anarchy, I mean."

"What?" They asked quietly, recoiling some. Their eyebrows furrowed, like they really didn't understand. "Why would you think that?"

"Lexi and I, we... We know Anthony. And he knows us. There's, a chance, that some part of him still cares about us." I was hesitant, like even I had trouble believing my own words. My eyes glossed over the lawn, avoiding the stunning rubies that watched me carefully. "But... You don't know him. And he doesn't know you. If you're there, then..."

"But you need me there." Chara scooted closer, clearly trying to get me to look at them. They craned their neck some to get a better look at my face, which was pointed towards the dirt. "If things go sideways, and he turns violent, then-

"Then I am going to get out of there as fast as I can." I shut my eyes with my words, exhaling slowly. Chara leaned back, recoiling again from that revelation. Somewhat painfully they narrowed their eyes, hands resting on the bench at their sides. "... Chara, I'll be honest."

"Ever since what happened with The Hacker and then Character, I... I haven't been very sure of myself." I opened my eyes and turned my head upwards, watching more and more blue creep across the sky. "I... Don't know how I'd be in a fight. I don't know if I could pull the trigger if I needed to, especially against someone like Anth-... Anarchy."

"That, just sounds like more reason for me to go with you." Chara shook their head slowly, bewilderment and caution towards my words clear in their every action. "I don't get it, Angel. Why do you want me to stay?"

*You don't want them to get hurt by _your_ mess.

"... Because." I caught Chara's attention, their eyes widening some as they darted down. I had placed my hand atop theirs on the bench space between us, unthinkingly wrapping my fingers around their palm. I noticed the light red shade that appeared on their face as I lifted my head to look at them, but didn't pay it much mind in the moment. "I need you here."

"Lets be honest." I looked ahead, though my hand had yet to leave theirs. "After everything that happened with Character, I'd say it's pretty obvious. You're stronger than me, Chara."

They were clearly taken aback by that, and when I smirked just a little sadly over at them I could see the shade of red on their face had darkened. "That's why you have to stay back."

"I-I'm..." Chara clearly had to gather their thoughts for a moment, blinking their eyes once or twice and shaking their head. "I'm still not following..?"

"With people like you and me around, our timeline is one big target." I let my eyes look off to the rising sun once more. "And after everything that's happened recently, I understand there are a lot of people out there like Error and Character. There are Predators and Gatherers and god knows what else that know our names."

"That's why you have to stay here." I turned my head back to them, giving them a DETERMINED stare. I lifted their hand in mine while I pleaded with them, my own shade of vermilion returning to my cheeks. "Because you're the only one who can keep this place safe while I clean up the mess I made."

It was at this point that the both of us looked to our interlocked hands, distracted from the seriousness of our topic by something incredibly different. While just a second ago I had felt so cool and dramatic, I was instantly embarrassed by my performance when it finally dawned on me that I was, in fact, holding their hand. Their own blush and the possible reason for it finally dawned on me, and all I could do was stammer. "U-uhm..!"

"Hey early birds!"

The sound of Frisk's voice calling from behind us made the two of us jump as though we'd been electrocuted, swiftly letting go of one another and scooting to opposite ends of the bench. In unison we looked over our shoulders with tomato faces and barked back at the human standing in the sliding doorway. "W-what?! We weren't-!"

"Uhh... I was just gonna tell you breakfast is almost done." Frisk rose a brow at the two of us, pointing a thumb over their shoulder and into the kitchen behind them.

"O-oh! Right!" Chara stuttered, wide eyes darting to the side while they smiled possibly the most nervous smile I'd ever seen.

"O-of course!" I added, hoping that the red would disappear from my face before anyone noticed. "We'll be right there!"

Chara stood quickly, taking a very loud and very deep breath in attempts to free their mind from what I figured was the same haze mine was in. They blinked their wide eyes a few times, then they spun on their heel, and marched back towards the door like everything was normal. Or, really, like they were trying to make it look like everything was normal.

I looked over my shoulder and watched them leave, before gulping - even though my mouth felt like it was full of cotton - once they were out of earshot. Still a little pink in the face, I turned forward again, lifting the hand I'd held theirs in and staring into its palm. Suddenly, some of the confusion I'd had towards my feelings over the past few days was lifting, and I was starting to get a grasp of just what emotion I'd been experiencing lately.

 _ **... Uh oh.**_

* * *

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 **XWolf26, out**


	41. Chapter 41: This Grass Isn't Green

**Thanks go to Andyfire123, sonic245, Wingah, 10burgers, Doctah Sawbones, Tbone8454, saltythebear, dragonmasterd55, Jack54311, EpicSlayerGuy99, Zack Frost, WhoWritesThisCrap, Acoolnamme, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, and NBoss01.**

 **Thanks so much dragonmasterd55, I'm really glad you like my writing that much. I'm just trying my best to make a compelling story, but getting the word out is hard. I've been really lucky to gain a fanbase that shares my work with friends and spreads the word around, and I continue to rely on you guys to talk about DoubleTale!**

 **Speaking of spreading words, Wingah has started a fanfiction for DoubleTale, called DoubleUnion! Spencer the Gamer has also started a story called DoubleScrolls that's a crossover between DoubleTale and Skyrim! If you guys wanna see even more DT content across the board, I think you should go support them and any other DoubleTale related stories or art or creative work in general! (I apologize in advance if you have a DoubleTale story that still gets updated that I didn't mention, just tell me and I'll correct myself in next chapter's author's note)**

 **Now please enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Creak... Cr_ _eak... Cr_ _eak..._

"... We've been here for awhile, you know."

He blinked those scarlet eyes leisurely down at the wood chips beneath his feet. He gently pushed the toes of his beat up tennis shoes into the chips, slowly rocking himself back and forth upon his swing. "I know."

"You didn't think it would take this long," The little boy tilted his head of brown hair to the side, his emerald eyes never blinking as he watched his albino best friend. "Did'ja Anny?"

"..." He tightened his red stained fingers around the chains of his swing, which continued to creak from his rocking. "No. I didn't."

"Guess you underestimated how much you hate me, huh?" Little Angel grinned playfully, shutting his eyes tight before the blood stained ghoul before him.

"... Heh." Anarchy didn't lift his head to see Angel's smile, but he knew it was there. "I guess so."

"... Why won't you look at me, Anny?" Angel asked after a moment or two of letting his childlike curiosity recharge. He held his hands behind his back and furrowed his brows.

"Because if I look at you, you'll die." Anarchy explained calmly, his hands held together in his lap. They were still dripping with fresh blood, it hasn't been long since the last Angel.

"Isn't that what you want, though?" Angel was puzzled by Anarchy's answer, puffing out his right cheek and keeping his eyebrows curled.

"I want to kill you." Anarchy corrected, blinking those lifeless rubies at the playground dirt once again. He watched as a crimson droplet trickled from his chin, dripping into the brown splinters below.

Angel crossed his arms at that, turning his head. He looked over the equipment of the playground, taking in all the beautiful red paint that had been splattered around. Along slides vermilion hand prints were smeared. On the old basketball court at the playground's far corner there was a particularly massive puddle of viscera, like someone had been completely torn apart there.

Finally, at the playground's center, his green orbs landed on a pile of meat that reached high into the sky. Little Angels, bodies broken and shattered to varying degrees of brutality. Missing faces, missing limbs. Torsos without legs, legs without torsos. Like worthless garbage their corpses were tossed together, lying atop one another in one massive monument to cruelty.

"... So it wasn't you who did that, then?" The little boy let his sharp eyes dart back to Anarchy, who exhaled slowly, running his hands up his legs to rest his blood soaked palms on the knees of his filthy jeans.

"... I don't remember." He answered after a pause, turning his left hand so that his fingers were facing upwards. Gradually he touched his thumb to the tip of his index finger, before slowly pulling them apart. The thick scarlet that stained his fingers stuck together, forming a short stream between his thumb and finger before inevitably breaking and splattering back to its original placement. "I look at you, everything goes red, and then I'm holding a corpse."

"... Anthony." Anarchy's eyebrows rose some when Angel's grubby little hands wrapped around his own bloody fingers, smearing red over the boy's digits. "Look at me."

"... You always were so bold, Angel." Anarchy's lips creaked upwards, madness flickering behind his ruby spheres. Those boney little fingers, they were always so cold. But Angel's blood, that was warm. "Always confident where I was timid."

Anarchy lifted his head, a few snow white locks drooping down over his face. As he looked him in the face, Angel could see the crimson dripping from his teeth. Chaos Incarnate's lips were drenched in fresh ichor. It painted his chin completely, bulged out at the bottom of his face in the form of little red droplets. The dark shade matched the hand-like smears along Anarchy's cheeks perfectly, like someone had been desperately trying to push his ever-hungry jaws away. Angel guessed his tiny hands had not been strong enough in the past. He figured they wouldn't be strong enough now.

These droplets dripped continuously from the Anarchist's maw. The pitter patter of their impact on Angel's own cheeks was deafening in the dead silent playground. The ivory ghoul loomed over him now, but without fright the boy stared up into those glowing red eyes. The blood he hadn't spilled but was in fact his own trickled down from this carnivore's fangs and now ran in streams over his face. Still Angel blinked without effort, and The Anarchist struck.

The blood soaked hand Angel had been holding was pulled abruptly from his fingers, only to dart out and clasp around his throat, yanking him off his feet. Long finger nails dug into the boy's neck, and the force of Anarchy's grip slammed his windpipe shut and crushed it into place. Emotionlessly Angel watched the frothing expression of the beast before him, his vision getting hazy while his face went blue.

The Anarchist's grin widened as the child's face changed in color. His bloodshot red eyes were bulging out of his own head as he watched little Angel lift his stupid, filthy little hands to wrap his fingers around the wrist of his strangler. Anarchy felt the boy's pulse rapidly pounding against his palm as his victim kicked his feet feebly in the air.

... And then his pulse slowed. It got slower, and softer, all the while those hands lost their grip and those feet stopped kicking. And then the bumping in Angel's throat disappeared, and his arms fell limp. His legs stopped kicking. Emeralds choked of all luster remained wide open as the new corpse's head dropped backwards unnaturally.

Gradually, Anarchy's expression relaxed. The psychosis disappeared from his eyes, his grin slipped back down his face. With rubies now lifeless he once more saw the dead body in his grasp, and frowned with displeasure. Without a word he tossed the worthless garbage into the pile with the rest of its kind, letting his eyes linger on it as it slapped into place and sunk in with the others.

Then he removed his eyes from that scene, looking to his outstretched hand. He could see new blood on his nails from where they had dug into little Angel's neck, and he casually drew his hand back to his mouth. His already vermilion soaked tongue slither out of his maw to slip over his sharp claws, lapping up the warm life-water of his latest kill.

"... Angel?" Anarchy called out after a pause, lowering his hand back down to his hip, where he stuffed it in his pocket. The gore and saliva it was covered in squished grossly in the fabric. "Where'd ya go?"

"Over here, Anny!" A voice cried out, and Anarchy turned his head, looking over his shoulder and back to the swing set. There little Angel sat, back to him, staring up above. He always seemed so hopeful whenever his head turned up above. When Anthony was young, he likened it to his friend staring at his real home. Longingly, from an uncrossable distance. That hardly mattered to Anarchy now.

As the crunching of footsteps on the wood chips approached Angel from behind, he furrowed his brows skyward. Up above, there was nothing. A white void in place of blue skies or dark clouds. He stared with confusion for awhile longer, before tainted alabaster hands slipped gently over his face from behind. Anarchy's fingers explored every feature of his face with care, slipping into his hair and painting his cheeks and forehead with wet, rusty finger prints.

"Hey Anny?" Angel asked his best friend without a care in the world, not even flinching while his vision was obscured. He didn't seem to mind - or really even notice - the gore being rubbed over his face.

"Mhm?" Anarchy answered just as casually, his icy eyes staring into the endless abyss of of white surrounding the playground. His hands eventually stopped moving, remaining over Angel's eyes. They tainted the green with red.

"Why's there no sky here?" Angel wondered aloud, kicking his feet harmlessly from his place on the swing.

"..." Anarchy blinked slowly, his grip tightening some on the sides of Angel's head. Madness did not ignite in his eyes this time however, a grin did not shred his face. "So you can't fly away."

 **SNAP.**

Angel's fingers slipped right off the chains of his swing, his entire body limp in the hands of the Anarchist. His head had been twisted swiftly to the side, and now his neck bent at an awkward angle.

Carelessly Anarchy dragged the corpse from the swing by its head, spinning on his heel and chucking it into the pile. It struck the top of the heap, before rolling with meaty thumps down all the way to the base.

"You did pretty well on that one, don'tcha think?" Angel asked as he slid down one bloody slide diagonally from the swing set, dropping right into a puddle of viscera without a care. "Me thinks you've almost got this 'blind fury' thing under control."

"... Maybe." Anarchy took a casual seat on the swing seat he had just murdered a child for, once more slowly rocking himself back and forth. "I'll stay here until I'm sure."

"You sure are overthinkin' this one, huh Anny?" Angel snickered as he made his way across the wooden shards that coated the ground. "You've always been such a worry wart. I'm sure everything will go _fiiiine_."

"... I don't expect you to understand." Anarchy blinked slowly, his lips curling up into a sad smile. Angel took a seat next to him in the second swing, turning his head to watch his best friend. The two of them were facing away from the playground, looking out at the endless nothing. "You've had plenty of happy days."

"But me?" Anarchy turned his head to look over to Angel, placing one hand over his chest. His fingers left red prints on his shirt. "I just get the one. So it has to be perfect."

"I can't afford to just black out and come to with your blood on my hands." Anarchy looked back to the white emptiness that surrounded the two. "I want to remember _every_. _Second_."

"Whoa..." Angel smirked a little playfully over at Anarchy after his explanation caused him a moment of surprise. "You've really put a lotta thought into this, huh?"

"This is my big break, Angel. My wedding day. The debut of the movie I star in. The publication of the book I spent my life writing." Painfully The Anarchist narrowed his eyes up at the nothingness he had covered himself in. "This is the _one thing_ that's going to make every single miserable second of my life worth it."

"Wow, Anny... You usually aren't this talkative." Angel rose his eyebrows, that playful smirk gone as he stared ahead, contemplating Anarchy's words.

"You're my best friend, Angel." Anarchy stated simply, his frown and sad eyes stiffening into that same emotionless expression he had been wearing. "You're the only person I c _an_ talk to."

"... Then what are you gonna do when I'm gone?" Angel's own face had lost its emotion as he looked to The Anarchist from the corner of his eye. They were the same in that moment. Husks of children.

"..." Anarchy tilted his head further back, beginning to push himself lightly back and forth once again. He contemplated Angel's question, and then let his response roll around on his tongue for a minute or two. Once he got a good taste out of it, he spoke. "I won't need to talk anymore."

"Hm." Was Angel's response, before things went silent between the two. They both sat there, swinging low and contemplating their fates. Until, finally, Angel's lips curled up some, and once more he looked to Chaos Incarnate from his eye's corner.

"... You know, you looked at my face a minute ago and you didn't kill me." Shadows slipped along the boy's face, some malice shining in his eyes as his smile curved deeper into a grin. "I think you're almost ready to wake up."

That made Anarchy smile. A little smile, but a smile nonetheless. He flicked his wrist out to the side, and his crowbar slid up his sleeve and into his grasp. With murder reigniting in his eyes, he looked over to Angel.

"Lets give it a few more tries, just to be sure."

 **Chapter 41: This Grass Isn't Green**

 _"Well, that's too bad."_

* * *

We didn't make eye contact again until breakfast was over. Chara and I, I mean.

We sat across from each other, kept our heads low when we could. Lexi sat next to me, and her fantastically friendly demeanor kept everyone interested in conversation. Even Chara and I threw in our two cents here and there, all while managing to keep from looking directly ahead into each other's eyes.

It was hard for me to talk most of the time though, because I was stuffing my face. I ate four plates of food; it was a breakfast massacre. I'm pretty sure most of the table was looking on in horror as I shredded through bacon and eggs. Each plate was turned vertically once only the hash browns and other scraps (remaining bacon bits, droplets of syrup from my pancakes, whatever slippery bits of egg evaded my fork earlier on in the meal) were left, and using my silverware I funneled the food into my bottomless gullet. Then, I would slap the plate down, jump up from the table, and race back to the kitchen to gather more food on another platter.

"Have you ever seen him eat like this..?" Toriel had leaned over and asked Lexi after my third helping, and it gave her one evil little smile.

"Only when he was eating my-" I'd stiffened up after the first two words of that sentence left her mouth, quickly spinning around from the pancakes I was slapping down onto my fourth plate and shooting her a glare.

"Lexi." I growled my warning, catching her eyes immediately. From her knowing and joking smile I knew she'd only started that sentence to get my attention, and by giving her that warning I'd fallen right into her trap.

"What?" She furrowed her brows with feigned confusion, tilting her head some. "My homemade cookies. What did you think I was gonna say?"

That turned every pair of eyes in the room on me, making my own emerald spheres snap open wide. I turned my nose up so no one saw the pink shade that appeared on my cheeks, giving a "Hmph" as my only defense. I feel it's important that I note that Lexi has never baked a cookie in her life. At least, to the best of my knowledge.

I, also feel it is important to note that the uh... The thing I _thought_ she was going to say, also, never uh, never happened. _Ahem_.

Even after taking that little jab, I still had enough of an appetite to devour a fourth plate in the same manner as the previous three. Some point in the nervous leg bouncing I was doing and Chara's own anxious fidgeting beneath the table, the two of us collided foot to foot, and that made the both of us jump. After that, I kept my feet under my chair.

Despite the awkwardness that Chara and I radiated, I was too busy eating to notice any other possible tensions. For the first time in days, the weight had removed itself from my chest and my stomach had untied itself from that painful knot it had been in for the past five days. I was still stressed and anxious, but I could no longer focus on the negatives.

No matter what was brought up, or what reminded me of Predator's offer or even my impending reunion with Anarchy, some part of my brain was always transfixed on last night. I hadn't forgotten for a moment what it felt like, sitting on that bench and pouring my heart out to someone who cared. I couldn't, not if my life depended on it.

After breakfast, Predator thanked Toriel for her hospitality and said her goodbyes. Toriel smiled and told her the pleasure was all hers, and that Lexi was welcome back any time. Frisk felt it was necessary to reinforce their mother's words. I felt it was necessary to give them another Charlie horse.

Lexi n' I said goodbye at the door after I walked her out. After the door was shut behind us, I told her where we would meet at 2:00 PM. At the time, it was 7:39 AM. I insisted that the time be later despite her impatience. I was apprehensive, and I hadn't slept all night. I was going to need sleep before going on an Anarchy hunt. I didn't tell her that was why I wanted to go later though, didn't think it would sit well with her that I stayed up all night talking to someone else right after she had floated the idea of the two of us getting back together. She never really asked for my reasoning though. Guess that was a painful testament to how much she trusted me.

*Holding someone else's hand. Never took you for an adulterer, Angel.

... Texty, as usual, was very supportive.

Predator disappeared down the street. She'd said she was gonna bum around Ebbot City, sight see, get a feel for the civilian life I'd been living. I guessed that made sense, from what I could gather her life hardly had a smidgen of normalcy. That had to get tiring, even for someone like her. I also figured she probably wanted to clear her head a little. She kept up her positivity - like always - but she had to know this 'saving Anthony' thing was going to be more than a little emotionally and physically exhausting.

Now, I was driving Chara home. Things were a little quiet in the car, and I thought they may have been able to chop through the tension with one of their knives. Taking a deep breath, I let my vision settle on my own eyes in the reflection of the rear view mirror. Just say something, I told myself. I can't take this silence anymore.

"... Hey, uh." Good start, dumbass. Now finish the sentence. "... Thanks. For, listening. Last night, I mean."

Last night. Once more those words made me remember. How warm it was, sitting next to them. What their hand felt like in mine. The way they- _Focus, numb nuts._

"Huh?" Clearly my words shook Chara out of some torrent of thought, because their head snapped to look over at me. With a nervous smile they corrected themself, "O-oh! Yeah, right! It was no problem, you don't have to thank me."

I lowered my head some while they waved their hands dismissively, eyes narrowing at the center of the steering wheel. I was frowning a little, even though I was more than grateful to them. "... No, I... I think I do."

"Chara, I've felt like I was dying these past few days." Suddenly fearless, I turned my tired eyes to them, giving them an equally exhausted smile. This was the first time we'd made eye contact since the bench in my backyard, and though they recoiled a little from my boldness, I hoped I hadn't put them off. Unfortunately, to keep being a safe driver, I had to turn my eyes away from them and back to the dirt road I was turning on to. "Before breakfast earlier, I hadn't eaten in days."

"My nights have been... Horrible. To say the least." My eyes darted out the drivers side window, fingers tightening around the wheel. "I can barely sleep, and when I do, I have these... Twisted, fucked up nightmares."

"I've been dreading every second of every day. I was terrified that my secret would get out, that I would lose everyone, that..." Slowly, I brought the car to a stop at the end of the dirt road leading up into the mountain. Trees surrounding the car, rays of sun managing to sneak past the leaves over head and reflect in a few places from the hood of my van. Or, As Chara had named it last time we were here, The Purple Piece of Shit. "... That..."

"... That everyone would think of you as you were back then." Chara finished my sentence for me, and I lifted my head some. I let my sad puppy dog eyes land on them once more, and I nodded a little with my agreement. "I get it, trust me. You know I've made my share of mistakes too."

"It wouldn't be right of me or anyone else to discredit every KIND action you've taken since coming here just because you did wrong in the past." Chara assured me with a slight smile, before turning their head. They looked forward, through the windshield and out at the lightly swaying trees around us. After a moment, they spoke again. "... I've been thinking a lot, these past few days. Ever since I beat Character."

"And, honestly?" They looked back to me, and I watched as they gave a little shrug. "I'm... Really not sure the past matters."

I was jolted some by those words. It was an obvious statement, certainly nothing that I should have considered particularly profound. But, I'd never thought it before. My past had been ten tons of baggage that I had been dragging for the past six months. Not once had I thought that it was unimportant, that it _didn't_ have some power over me and my future.

"I think it's what we do in the here and now that matters, is what I mean." I think Chara could tell they were getting through to me, so they didn't look away. I couldn't either. "So long as your trying your hardest to be your best person today, I don't think it's important that you were an asshole yesterday."

"..." I was quiet for a few long seconds. I shut my eyes, leaned my head back on my driver side window. Then, I smiled a little, and my eye peeked open, looking at them. "When'd you get so wise?"

"Doesn't matter." They smirked a little playfully, giving a shrug before unbuckling their seat belt. They placed their hand on their door, pulling the lever but not pushing it open yet. They looked back to me. "... Do your best today, Angel. You're doing a good thing trying to help Anthony."

"... Thanks, Chara." I spoke a little quietly, giving them an honest smile. Once again they had removed the weight of the world from my shoulders. It was so effortless for them. They always dispelled all of my fears and anxieties with the snap of their fingers, it seemed. Replaced that unease with... With... Ahem, anyway. "It... Really means a lot."

"Any time." They assured me, before pushing their car door open. As they were about to step from the vehicle, though, Chara hesitated. That confident expression grew a little more faint, and they almost seemed timid for a moment or two. Begrudgingly, they asked for my attention one more time. "... Angel?"

"Yeah?" They didn't need to ask for my attention; they already had it. They always had it. It was starting to feel like focusing on anything but them was impossible. My mouth was drying up again, its moisture appearing to be moving to my now sweaty palms instead.

Their eyes darted down to where my palm rested. They watched my hand, fidgeted their own arm some. But, just as they reached out some, they peaked up and saw me staring at them, waiting pensively for whatever move they were planning. This made them flinch, their face turning to a reddish shade as they retracted their hand away from mine. Swiftly they scooted from their seat and out onto their feet, like they were trying to cover up that they had ever been considering... Considering what? Had they wanted to..?

*My god you are clueless.

"J-just," They turned their head, trying to hide their face while they crossed their arms over their chest. "Don't get hurt, or, do anything dumb, alright? Or I'll be mad."

This made my own face go a little red, but I nodded regardless. My eyes refused to blink. A lot of my motor functions were stalling. Still, I managed to give a response. "Y-yeah! O-of course!"

They never said goodbye. Just mumbled "Better not..!" in a way that I think they meant to be threatening, but I found... Well, adorable is a strong word. Which is why it was embarrassing that it fit so well.

I watched Chara walk up the mountain incline until they disappeared into the trees. Then, I waited a few seconds, before groaning and leaning my head forward, gently resting it on the steering wheel.

*You're really getting creative with these problems you make for yourself.

"Why am I like this..?" I groaned aloud, reaching up and grabbing fistfuls of my hair. I didn't lift my head from the steering wheel, didn't want the world around me to keep seeing that stupid blush that kept appearing on my stupid face.

*I think it may be possible that you just happen to be _very bad_ at being a regular person.

"Uuugghhh..." I clenched my eyes shut tight, lifting my head just to bang my forehead on the leather of the wheel.

*Shouldn't you be happy about this? This seems like the most 'normal teenager' problem you've had since becoming a teenager.

"Then why does it feel like the end of the world..?" I whimpered my question like the meek, awkward, computer class nerd boy I was deep down.

*Because you're a baby. Now get driving. You've got a date with my son.

"Oh?" Texty's words gave me the chance to focus on something else, so I latched onto it with all my might. I lifted my head from the wheel, still slouching some while I rested my arm over it. I smirked just a little. "Is a certain ruthless killer turned flavor text generator missing his baby boy?"

*He's far from my 'baby boy'. Our only attachment is through blood.

"Whatever you say, pops." I turned over my shoulder, leaning one arm back and placing it over the back of my now empty passenger seat. I looked out my back windshield while I backed up to turn around. "You sure you aren't just glad Anny's alive?"

*I'm disappointed that you failed to kill him. Seems like you never could do anything right.

"Ouch." I responded sarcastically, looking forward as I pulled back onto the mountain path and began the trip back home to take that nap.

*It sounds to me that Anarchy was a much better heir than I originally thought.

"Unhuh?" I made sure that sounded extra sarcastic, cocking a brow over at the text box floating at the bottom of my line of vision. I frowned some, playful teasing swapping out for the true disdain beneath. "Your little games are long over now, you know. There isn't gonna be any 'heir' to your bullshit."

*...

*I'm excited to see him kill you.

* * *

"Still no sign of 'er, huh?" Clover leaned his elbows on the counter between himself and the bar tending spider monster. He lifted his head some, looking at Swap!Muffet from under the shadow of his trademark hat.

"Not that I've heard." Muffet answered simply, drying two separate glasses with two of her four arms, while her remaining two shined the counter top that separated her and Clover. Behind her a kitchen stretched into the wall, and two others could be made out inside.

Over the sink a girl leaned, apron wrapped around her waist while she carefully washed dish after dish, before passing them over to a man of purple flames. Silently he would dry the plates, pots, and pans with a rag before stacking them neatly in the cupboards that lined the wall.

"Girl demands we go lookin' fer that damn Hacker in such a rush, then starts draggin' ass after meetin' 'em." Clover scowled, shaking his head. "She knows I hate sittin' in place fer more than a few hours."

"Well, you know how Lexi is." The girl washing dishes chimed in, looking over her shoulder to the two at the counter. She smiled lightly, like she always smiled, green eyes glimmering some. She was a little younger, probably only sixteen or seventeen. "Beat of her own drum and all that."

"Sounds like a polite way'a sayin' selfish to me, Melanie." Clover tilted his head, and in the shifting light, his left eye was visible for just long enough to be seen rolling.

"... Somebody's moody today." Fell!Grillby crossed his arms, sitting back against the counter behind him in the kitchen. Melanie had stopped handing him dishes, meaning that the lunch cleaning was done and the three members of the kitchen crew had some time to take it easy before getting started on dinner.

"I just got a bad feelin'." Clover turned his head to the side some. "Woke up this mornin' feelin'... Off."

"Is it 'cause Predator spent the night at her ex-boyfriend's house?" Melanie questioned with a suggestive grin, making her way over to the bar's counter. She leaned forward on her elbows across from Clover, resting her chin in her hands.

"Mel, we been over this, there ain't nothin' goin' on 'tween me n' Predator." Clover tilted his head and pushed up the rim of his hat with his left index finger, revealing one golden eye just so he could give her a scolding glare.

"Well there has to be _some_ romantic tension on this ship!" Melanie proclaimed, reaching over the table and grabbing hold of Clover's face without a second thought, mushing his cheeks together.

"... Why?" Clover said after a pause, his voice muffled between her two hands.

"I mean, look at these two!" Keeping one hand on Clover's chin, Melanie spun around and gestured to a confused Muffet and Grillby. "Don't they just _scream_ workplace romance?"

"... I haven't thought of Muffet like that a single time since I met her." Grillby spoke honestly, arms remaining crossed over his chest.

"Feeling's mutual, dearie." Muffet agreed, cocking a confused brow Melanie's way.

"They're basically married." Melanie held up one hand like she was whispering a secret to Clover, but spoke loud enough for the other two in the kitchen to hear her.

"No we're not!" The two bartenders shouted at once, stamping their feet in unison.

Clover opened his mouth to add to the conversation as Melanie let go of his face, but before any words left his throat, he paused. Lifting one finger to get the others attention, the three members of the kitchen staff went deathly silent.

"... Y'all hear that?" Clover was frowning now, slowly turning his head to look to the right wall of the cafeteria.

"..." Grillby paused, the dull crackle of his violet embers the only sound for several long seconds. Finally, he opened his mouth, revealing his white hot fangs. "I don't-"

An explosion blasted through all of their ears, dust and smoke firing through the air and momentarily obstructing all but the flaring purple fires that flickered off Grillby's body. The wave of force that suddenly rushed in was so powerful in fact that Clover was sent tumbling back off of his stool, which clanged to the ground not a second later.

"What in-..!" Clover coughed as he crawled backwards on his hands in the opposite direction from the blast of smoke, wincing his one gold eye and lifting one forearm to his mouth. "Sam hill-?!"

Suddenly, through the swirling brown mist, a hulking shadow loomed over the cowboy, yanking what he could only assume was a battleaxe over its head to swing down at him. Swiftly the young man kicked his legs up, back flipping just by the swing of the ax and landing crouched on his hands and feet while the berserk blade crashed through the stool he had been seated in, separating its seat from the metal pole that connected it to its base.

The impact of this strike sent a burst of wind up around the two that cleared the dust, and Clover spotted a hulking monster comprised of yellow scales. Something about her build and her use of an ax reminded Clover of dwarves in fantasy tales, despite her lizard biology. Swap!Alphys took a bold step forward, lifting her ax over her head once more.

Clover watched her every move, body spring loaded and ready to move the moment she swung. Before the reptilian heroine could strike however, a flying kick drove a boot into her jaw and made her one eye snap open wide, her neck forced to turn and bring her ear to her shoulder. Melanie spun horizontally from Alphys' shoulder, bashing the pan that she gripped in both hands into the monster's face and sending her sailing back into the slowly settling smoke.

"You alright, Clover?" She called over her shoulder after she landed on her feet. Clover stood, and she spun her pan in one hand while her emerald eyes watched the swirling dust carefully.

Clover scowled as he climbed to his feet, taking a stance behind her. Instinctively he reached for his hip, but found himself sans a big iron. His teeth ground with frustration as he quickly remembered the guns he had left in the case in his room. Next time, he would not be so careless.

The smog settled, and his gold eye spotted the shiny new hole in his pirate ship, where several familiar figures loomed. At their center, The Gatherer's right hand man. Ever BRAVE, Cliff stood tall and confident, powerful fists clenched tight at his sides. To his left, Swap Alphys had retaken her position, now with a bit of blood dribbling down her chin from a split lip. To his right a similarly scaly but dis-similarly blue monster woman stood, giving a sharp toothed grin and clutching a spear tight in her hands. Clover recognized her as an Undyne, and judging by the red light that illuminated her spear and the matching red eye shadow that detailed her face, he guessed she was from Underfell.

Correction, he wouldn't be so careless if he _got_ a next time.

"Peachy." Clover finally answered, watching as both Muffet and Grillby hopped the bar counter and took a stance at either side of Melanie. He took a moment to lean down and grab the severed stool from the ground. He kicked the base from it, wielding its shredded metal tip like a spear. Not a weapon he was familiar with, but more useful than his fists.

"I take it you forgot your peace-keeper, sheriff?" Grillby wore a smirk that was playfully mocking despite the dire straights.

"Don't usually eat breakfast with the thing." Clover answered, his frown lightening some from his comrade's unshakable confidence.

"Then congrats, your job is to get reinforcements." Melanie kept her cheery smile while she reached up, tugging the hair net from her head and revealing her light brown hair, which was currently pulled into a messy bun. A single curly tress fell from the bun, dangling by her right eye.

"So now you're callin' the shots, missy?" Clover wore his own playful smirk as he lowered his stance some, already preparing to bolt for the exit to his side.

"Flirt later, sheriff." Grillby interjected, throwing his right arm out to the side. With that motion, flames sprayed out across the ground, creating a clear wall of heat to cover Clover's escape.

"Don't go puttin' that thought in her head." Clover narrowed his eye at Grillby, who grinned a little mischievously.

"Too late~!" Melanie sang, even as she took a threatening step towards these new foes, spinning her pan in her grasp.

"Now now, be on your way dearie." Muffet took her own step forward, clasping each pair of hands together before pulling them apart, revealing thick webbing now between each finger and spiders crawling readily over her hands. "We've got a kitchen to clean, ahuhuhu~!"

Clover nodded once, before breaking from his stance in an all out sprint towards the cafeteria's main exit. The kitchen staff watched Cliff closely for any order he may give his two soldiers to apprehend the cowboy, but no order came. The BRAVE soul just continued to smirk, his eyes locked on the three unlikely void pirates before him.

"Apologies, dearies! But our parlor is quite exclusive!" Muffet called across the way, walking forward at the lead of the kitchen staff, Grillby to her right and Melanie to her left. Though she smiled, she was barring her fangs. "Without a reservation..."

"Well, you could leave peacefully!" Melanie suggested with a friendly chime in her tone. Then, she brought up the rim of her pan, resting her chin on it. "Oooor, if you wanna be difficult..."

Grillby was rolling up his sleeves, letting bright purple flames lick up into the air from his arms. He pushed up his glasses, a glare covering his eyes while the jagged white line that was his mouth curled deeper into a malicious sneer.

 **"We can always escort you out."**

* * *

Footsteps thumping swiftly down the halls, Clover raced at his top speed through the metallic passages of his space pirate ship. Rapidly his eye darted around under his hat to keep up with the surroundings that were racing by him.

But, as he ran, another tremor exploded through the floor under him, rocking him and sending him stumbling into the wall. This made him grind his teeth with frustration, judging quickly that the sound of that blast meant yet another entry had just been blown into his home. This did not deter him however, in fact it boiled his blood and pushed him further. His JUST soul flaring on his chest, he stomped down the halls with extra vigor, desperate to grab his weapons and pop a cap in whatever poor souls had decided to ruin his afternoon.

Soon, he had made it to the long halls of the living quarters. Just as he turned the corner into his own hallway however, another crash resounded, and Clover saw where the hallway bent at its other end a monster in a large suit of armor crash back first into the wall, something having knocked the towering Knight Knight flat on her ass. While this surprised Clover at first, it became clear when the apparent ass-kicker came into view.

With golden spikes glimmering threateningly on her bracelets and arm bands, the purple dino monster yanked her Brave Ax above her head. Baring her sharp yellow fangs, Susie chopped right into Knight Knight's chest without hesitation. Then, she spun around, lifting her ax over her head and stopping the morningstar that was crashing down from behind her.

Growling her frustrations, Susie was awkwardly forced down to one knee from the force of another Knight Knight raining down on her. When Clover saw the mercenary monster looming over her, he pushed from the wall, bolting with rapid thudding footsteps down the metal hall towards his kneeling ally. Susie's eyes darted over to him from under her purple hair, and her frustrated scowl became a knowing sneer.

Using his size to his advantage, the JUST soul slid in under the larger Knight Knight, yanked back his metal spear, and stabbed viciously right into her abdomen. This made Knight Knight groan with pain, stumbling back and letting Susie rise like some great wrathful beast from the earth. As she yanked her ax back, Clover knelt, and Susie swung clear over his head, slashing right through Knight Knight and sending silver ash blowing through the halls with the felled knight.

"Good timin', Tex." Susie roughly grabbed Clover by his shoulder, pulling him from his knee to his feet with a friendly grin of her sharp maw. "Now, you got any idea what's going on here?"

"It's The Gatherer." Clover spoke, not stopping to look at Susie as he stomped ahead towards his room door. With a frown carved in his face he turned the knob and shoved the door open, making his way into a room that could only be described as minimalistic. A bed, a dresser, and a gun case.

"Gatherer?!" Susie repeated with a snarl, walking behind Clover, who stomped right over to his gun cabinet, throwing open the glass door. The cowboy looked over several rifles, pistols, and shotguns, before quickly making his choices. "How'd he even find out where we are?!"

"Don't know. Don't care much, neither." Clover answered simply, lifting his poncho some to wrap a leather belt connected to two revolver holsters around his waist. Next, he pulled a rifle from the inner wall of the cabinet, throwing its strap over his shoulder. Lastly, he leaned down some, grabbing a double barrel shotgun, keeping this one right in his arms instead of storing it away on his person. He looked over his shoulder to Susie, "Where's Ralsei and Kris?"

"Lost 'em when shit hit the fan." Susie narrowed her eyes at her own words, clearly upset with herself over the ordeal.

"Well then it's you n' me." Clover walked past Susie towards the door, and Susie followed close behind, a menacing smile curling her lips.

"You wanna think up a team name?" Susie asked while Clover snapped down the dual barrel of his shotgun, opening one hand and summoning two shells from his inventory, before loading them into their respective barrels.

"Sure." The corner of Clover's mouth curled up some as he turned the corner out of his room. He spotted the beady eyes of three Astigmatisms blocking their path at the end of the hall, and his smile grew all the more furious as he snapped the dual barrel of his shotgun back up. "Whatcha thinkin'? The Fun Duo?"

Susie laughed through her barred fangs at that, looming behind him as he took aim on the cyclopes monsters before the two.

"We really don't hang out enough, cowboy."

* * *

 _Damn it!_ Swiftly Sans threw his hand from side to side, his left eye burning blue flames brightly. To his back was the door to the control room, where River Person would remain on lockdown. If the ship's navigator were to get felled by the little bastard Sans was whipping to and fro by the soul then they would be stranded here, in the middle of nowhere.

But, unfortunately, Sans knew the striped shirt wearing Demon before him all too well. And they knew him. Against most opponents Sans was likely to clean house, but Charas happened to be the perfect neutralizer to Sanses and all their nonsense. As proof of this, Demon was flipping perfectly in air with each of Sans' throws, always landing on their feet no matter what angle and what surface they were pulled towards.

"Didn't expect to see a Sans here, of all places!" The Demon smiled wickedly as Sans dropped them from the ceiling, and they spun in air, landing crouched on their feet. They wasted no time - as they were aware they couldn't afford to lollygag with a Sans - and rushed forward, drawing their knife back. "Isn't this job a little much for you?"

"I'm not-" Sans tilted his head to the side, letting their blade stab over his shoulder before he ducked under a follow up slash. He jumped back away from them, but was certainly disgruntled when his back hit a wall, and he ran out of room to put between the two of them. "Your average Sans."

"You sure are sweating like one." Demon watched him with killer red eyes, holding their blade out to the side. His back was against a wall, the two of them knew that. There was sweat pouring down his brow, but Demon _did_ notice something peculiar. That left eye of his was burning higher and higher above his head, and similar flames were starting to leak out from the corners of his ever smiling teeth. Demon decided this didn't matter though, merely narrowing their eyes and lowering their stance. "I bet you bleed like one, too."

"You're in for a shock then." Sans spoke in a low growl, shadows slipping along his face. He was in fact dripping sweat, both from exhaustion and anxiety. In these close quarters, he could hardly fight to his fullest potential. Meanwhile, Demon was _made_ for close combat. If things kept up this way, if Sans' soul kept pounding this hard, then... His white dot pupils darted to the blue flames licking up his cheek from the corner of his mouth.

... Well, he would get better at close combat. He'd just get a lot worse at self control. Speaking of control, the further this brat pushed him, the harder his magic was to handle. He wasn't built for drawn out fights. If things kept going this way...

Demon lunged for Sans, and he teleported. Popping from existence between Demon and the wall, he appeared behind them just as their blade shredded through the metal of the wall. They spun around, tearing their weapon free and diving at Sans once more, only for him to reach out and flip their ruby soul to sapphire at the last second.

Sans whipped his hand to the side, sending Demon firing back down the hallway. He pulled up his free hand, wincing some as a few embers flickered out of his right eye socket as well. At the same time, pointed bones jutted from the ground ground where Demon was heading. As their soul flipped back to red however they spun, their knife switching out for a burnt frying pan. They smashed the pain into the bones, shattering their points and giving themself the opportunity to continue their rotation and spin themself over the remaining calcium edges.

They landed at the end of the hall, which widened into a larger pathway that intersected vertically with the horizontal hallway, giving the two passages a sort of T shape. Demon skidded back on their feet some when they landed, but as the bones between them and Sans crumbled, and they could see him clearly at the end of the hallway, huffing and grabbing at his burning left eye, they smiled.

"Havin' some trouble, Chuckles?" They called down to him, their pan disappearing and reappearing as an empty gun. Grin splitting their face, they took aim on the stumbling skeleton at the end of the hall before them. "Don't worry, I'll make it quick."

But before Demon could pull the trigger, a hand covered by an orange glove wrapped around their wrist, making their crimson eyes widen before darting up the arm the hand was connected to and to the face of the skeleton that restrained them.

"Would you like to repeat that you son of a bitch?" Papyrus inquired, yanking back his free hand and forming a fist, which he cracked Demon across the face with, sending them sailing a few feet away.

"Eugh-!" Demon landed so hard they bounced, before swiftly sitting up. They leaned back on one palm, smirking up at the taller skeleton that loomed over them as they wiped fresh blood from their lip with the back of their fist. "A Papyrus, huh?"

"And here I thought you guys didn't know any curse words..." They grumbled to themself as they climbed to their feet, gun once more swapping out for their blade. When they got a better look at him though, their lips curled back upwards with amusement. This particular Papyrus was covering his battle body with a familiar blue sweatshirt, and someone like Demon didn't have any trouble connecting the dots. They laughed to themself just a little. "Unless, you don't have a brother to teach you any better?"

Disbelief!Papyrus growled, flattening his palm. As he did, bones manifested in an orange flame, morphing into a rapier with a skull themed pommel. He drew a line with his foot between the two of them, shifting his footing and pointing his bone blade at Demon, wrapping his other arm behind his back, like he was ordering them to en garde.

"No half baked MERCY speech either?" Demon questioned, mocking his stance by mimicking it. They pointed their knife up towards his rapier, wickedness refusing to uncoil their features. "Somebody really _did_ suck all the life out of you, huh?"

"If there is one thing I've learned, _human_ ," The two were circling one another now, Papyrus' sockets narrowing with disdain. "It's that the only good Chara is a dead Chara."

Suddenly, Demon was frowning deeply. Their eyebrows drew near together, and as recent memories flashed in their mind, their teeth began to grind together.

 _"... Ooh, were those your ribs?" A smirk gradually crept up Chara's face as they reached up, wiping a splotch of blood that Character had spit up off their cheek with the back of their fist._

 _"That sounded like your ribs."_

"..." Red flames flickering to life over Demon's right eye, and their knuckles went white around their blade. They spoke in a snarl.

"I couldn't agree more."

* * *

*Ralsei casts PACIFY!

Several thumps followed this notification from Kris's text box, and they poked their head out from behind the over turned table they and their fluffy friend had been taking cover behind. Upon spotting the four or five Whimsalots that had been firing at them sleeping on the floor (Most of them in at least a semi-awkward position) the armored human breathed a sigh of relief.

Ralsei poked his head up next, pure white fur obscured and darkened by the shadow of his mage hat. He smiled over to Kris, who remained vigilant, shield raised and sword drawn. The two of them were in the common area, which was now a mess. A bookshelf had been knocked over in the corner, the flat screen at the center of the room had four arrows buried in a line across it - as if someone had ran by it while dodging bow-fire - and one of the couches was laying on its back, another partially smoldering. There were a few Final Froggits and Astigmatisms laying unconscious with the Whimsalots, likely having been PACIFIED earlier in the fight.

"Good thinking, Kris." Ralsei complimented with a sweet smile, reaching out and patting the semi-dented wood of the table they had been ducking behind. The table had plenty of arrows buried in it from the Whimsalots' barrage. "If we hadn't gotten under this table, I think we might be a little worse for wear! Ehehe!"

Kris nodded their acknowledgement to Ralsei's kind words, a polite smile gracing their lips. Before anything else could be said, however, the now quiet room was echoing with small, calm footsteps. Without hesitation Kris took a step in front of Ralsei, putting their shield arm out in front of him to indicate he should stay back while they pointed their blade out to the dark hallway from which the footsteps echoed.

Slowly, from the shadows, a small girl walked into the light. Dark brown hair fell around her face, which was less than expressive. On her nose oval glasses rested, their glare reflecting the purple of her eyes. She couldn't have been any older than fifteen by the looks of her diminutive stature. On her chest, a violet soul pulsated lightly. And on her face, her lips moved slowly and quietly, uttering some string of words that neither Kris nor Ralsei could hear.

But the most peculiar and unsettling thing about this girl was not the purple glow in her glasses. It was not her petite size or even the incomprehensible muttering she was doing. It was in fact the potted flower that she carried. This flower was hardly a flower, it was more an eye on a stem, surrounded by a handful of yellow petals. And this eye blinked. It blinked, and silently it watched the human and the darkner. Whatever words this girl was whispering, Horror!Flowey was listening intently.

Then, while cold sweat formed on the brows of a momentarily paralyzed Kris and Ralsei, the cyclops Flower began to shift. Roots crept slowly over the rim of its pot, while its leaves and stem began to bulge. The PERSEVERING girl never flinched, not even as the pot Flowey was in suddenly cracked. She just kept up her mad mumbling, even as Flowey's one eye creased right down the middle. The vertical crease grew deeper and deeper, until - much to 2/3rd's of the Fun Gang's horror and disgust - it split in two, revealing a growing maw of teeth from within.

Suddenly, a vine snapped outwards from the cracking and breaking pot, and both darkner and human flinched as it jabbed right through the back of an unconscious Whimsalot. Several more vines shot out and did just the same thing, each hooking into different unresponsive body's on the ground before they began to pulsate, lumps forming where vine met body and traveling upwards back to Horror!Flowey's roots.

The girl's chanting was getting louder now, as Whimsalots and Froggits began to whither away, being sucked into a rapidly growing Flowey. Ralsei took a step back, horror shining in his eyes. His face was certainly green under that white fur, stomach knotting quickly. "W-what on Earth-?!"

Swiftly Kris reached back with their shield arm, grabbing Ralsei by the hand and making him jump. Just as more vines blasted outwards, they booked it towards the only other hallway at the left side wall of the room. Laughter suddenly exploded out from that flower's horrific maw as it blasted free of its pot, launching its vertical jaws out towards the two.

"W-whoa!" Ralsei cried out with surprise as he was suddenly being dragged into retreat, racing down the hallway with Kris directly in front of him and the snapping jaws of that man-eating flower not more than ten feet behind. He was a little surprised by Kris's lack of hesitation towards fleeing but when he glanced over his shoulder to the beast following closely behind, he didn't find any reason to disagree with his companion's decision.

He looked ahead, grabbing his hat to keep it from slipping off his head. They were heading towards the eating area, where the first blast had resounded. That meant there was a good chance they were dead sprinting right into a corner. Tightly Ralsei squeezed Kris's hand in his.

... This just meant he would have to believe in himself and trust in his team. And he could do that.

* * *

"You're just too slow, dearie!" Swap!Muffet assured as she side stepped Swap!Alphys' ax, earning a furious growl from the reptilian knight. The ax tore through the floor as Alphys swung back up at Muffet, who jumped skillfully into the air.

The spider baker landed like an acrobatic on the handle of Alphys' ax, smiling with some amusement and bringing her hands together, before quickly pulling them apart. This revealed a thick layer of webbing now between her two hands. Muffet then lunged forward, flipping over a dazed Alphys and wrapping those webs right around her eyes and yanking her head back, making her stumble.

Alphys managed to steady herself, planting her feet and grabbing a handful the web shielding her eyes. This proved to be a horrible mistake however, when he remembered that spider web is sticky, and realized that she had essentially just glued her hand to her own face.

"Gah! Damn it!" Alphys cried out as Muffet quite literally ran circles around her, throwing strands of webbing out from her six hands and beginning to restrain her foe. Spiders crawled up what webbing Muffet attached, dragging their silk over Alphys' body and swiftly entrapping her in a white cocoon. After about thirty seconds the reptilian knight had dropped to the ground, legs tied together and arms stuck to her torso, one hand remaining on her own face and muffling whatever curse words she was trying to force out.

"You're sloppy, too." Muffet added, crouching down to mockingly pat Swap!Alphys' head. She giggled when those furious, slitted eyes landed upon her, lifting a hand to muffle her laughter.

Across the room, Fell!Undyne threw crackling red spears to and fro, the violet flames of Fell!Grillby darting easily between them. She knew full well she was at a disadvantage with her debilitating weakness to heat, so she had been trying her hardest to keep him at a distance.

Grillby's lower half was a torrent of amethyst flames as he raced across the ground, circling Undyne as he waited for an opening. As he ducked under a spear, he cocked back one hand, before shoving his palm out towards Undyne, sending a blast of fire exploding out towards her.

Undyne ducked, sweat clear on her brow as the heat wave blasted to embers against the wall behind her. Smoldering ash rained from above, her breathing getting more and more labored as Grillby's flaming body continued to rise the room's temperature. Her body was getting heavier, gravity was growing more intense by the second. Still, she stomped her foot, jaw hanging open in her gasping.

This stomp of Undyne's caused puddles to form all along the floor between her and Grillby, before crimson spears of magic began pistoning out from the vermilion warps she had scattered across the floor. But this was a last ditch effort, a poor attempt to hide the fact that her amphibious body could hardly carry her weight any longer.

So, Grillby looked to the smoldering flakes that rained down around his foe, and quickly lifted his hand. He clenched his fist, and suddenly those embers ignited brighter and hotter than before, scorching violet light flashing across Undyne's stunned expression. Her expression could only remain that way for a moment however, before the heat took her, and her eyes rolled back. Her legs went out from under her, and she fell flat on her back as her spears receded from the earth, overheating and slipping into unconsciousness.

At the kitchen's center Cliff took a step back, dodging Melanie's ax kick. Melanie landed and was forced to drop to one knee from the momentum that she had come down with, giving Cliff the opportunity to cock back one gloved fist. Like electricity orange energy flickered and crackled over Cliff's fist before he swung. Melanie reacted quickly though, yanking up her frying pan and catching his knuckles in the pan.

The force of Clifford's swing did carry through however, and she was thrown from her place on the ground, flinging back through the air before back flipping, landing on both feet and one hand. Melanie slid back a ways, but launched forward right after she came to a stop.

"It's not polite to try and punch out a lady, you know!" She reminded Cliff as she lunged at him, yanking her pan back like a baseball bat and swinging at his head, only for him to duck under her strike. She spun through her swing, rising her knee and attempting to strike Cliff in the face with it from her place in the air.

"A lady who aligns herself with a villain like The Predator is no lady at all!" Clifford proclaimed with unshakable belief, rising his massive forearm and catching Melanie's knee on it effortlessly. He glared up at her, before she pushed back off of him, jumping back and landing about ten feet back. She lowered her stance, green eyes never leaving the BRAVE soul before her as she spun her pan in her hand once more.

"Gatherer's got you brainwashed!" Melanie assured as a green glow flashed over her frying pan. She pulled her glowing weapon back, before swinging it through the air. From it a wall of energy manifested, sweeping across the ground to meet Cliff.

"You're an idiot-!" Cliff cocked back one powerful fist as Melanie's wall raced towards him, fearless eyes watching its approach while orange energy crackled along his arm. Then, the attack got in range, and he swung with all his might, his knuckles blasting right through the energy and sending emerald shards flinging like glass through the air. "To believe something like that!"

Suddenly, Cliff turned on his heel, pulling one fist back at his side as he now faced Muffet, who was racing towards him with more of those unbreakable webs between her hands. As she lunged at him however, he skillfully ducked under her arms, smashing a terribly accurate jab right into her abdomen. This strike made Muffet's five eyes snap open wide and her jaw unhinge, saliva spattering up off her tongue before she was sent launching back.

Muffet landed flat on her back, sliding across the smooth floors while she clutched her now screaming ribs. Over her head Grillby propelled himself, purple flames rocketing him towards Clifford. The two collided, Cliff's arms lighting up in that orange voltage before the two locked up. Hand met hand, and suddenly they were crouched there, fingers intertwined. They were head to head, each trying to over power and push down the other.

Grillby's body flared brightly with heat that should have been unbearable, but Cliff never flinched. His resolve was completely unbreakable, his eyes not even blinking in the harsh purple light. He stomped one foot forward, and Grillby slid back, grinding his molten fangs as Clifford forced him to lean back.

"In order to..! Lock up like this..! You gotta make your body solid, right?!" Clifford asked as he bent Grillby's wrists back, gaining more and more ground on the fire elemental. Then, he yanked his head back, and that BRAVE energy crackled and surged over his forehead. "Which means I can do this!"

Cliff cracked his forehead into Grillby's, and the amethyst bartender folded completely. His eyes flickered back and forth for a moment while his fire shifted unevenly. His grip on Cliff went limp, releasing the fighter's hands. From there Cliff yanked both hands back, crouched down, and sent both palms smashing right into Grillby's abdomen. The force crashed into Grillby's semi-solid body, sending him flinging back through the air as well, his limbs flapping limply until he crashed into the floor at Muffet's side.

Muffet growled with pain and frustration as she managed to sit up, keeping one hand clasped over her throbbing solar plexus. Still, she shot Cliff a defiant glare, before Melanie slid in, standing protectively in front of her fallen kitchenmates. Another one of those green walls appeared between her and the two she protected, and she held out one hand at her side, her other gripping her weapon of choice tightly.

There was cold sweat on her brow as she stared at this mountain of a man before her. His eyes never blinked, never hesitated. He was decisive in his every movement, straight forward and as blunt as the bottom of her pan. Orange lightning flickered over his rock solid body, his soul's power coating him in its aura like a suit of armor.

"None of you could understand." Clifford narrowed his eyes with disdain, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "Unruly mercenaries, always interfering with The Gatherer's plans! You're the rot that is destroying this multiverse!"

"Gatherer's a crook and a cult leader!" Melanie growled, jaw clenching as she endured Clifford's fanatic speech. "We're the good guys here!"

"Xander The Gatherer represents unity! He is sure in these unsure times! He saves those without direction and gives them a purpose! He protects those who cannot protect themselves!" Clifford lifted one hand, pointing out towards the three supposed heathens before him. "Protects us from the likes of _you_!"

"Quit flappin' yer gums, Cliff."

A familiar southern drawl caught the room's attention, and Cliff slowly turned his head back to see Clover standing in one of the three hallways leading into the kitchen behind him. The cowboy had his revolver drawn, its sights set right on Clifford's head. Behind him Susie loomed, gripping her Brave Ax tightly and baring her vicious fangs. "I'm thinkin' we've 'bout heard enough."

"If you're gonna shoot me, shoot me in the front." Clifford narrowed his eyes, turning slowly to face down the barrel of Clover's gun. "I don't want anyone thinking I was trying to run away."

Clover opened his mouth to speak, but before any words came, light flashed in the hallway behind him. Painfully Susie cried out, agony burning through her shoulder with the searing fangs of a flaming snake. The blazing cobra stretched from the darkness, illuminating the hallway and revealing the form of one man taking his sweet time strolling up towards the kitchen.

"Always so dramatic, Clifford." The Gatherer had one arm outstretched, and from here his inferno serpent had slithered. His other hand rested quite casually in his pocket, and as he walked further into the light, Clover noticed his change in outfit. Usually Xander dressed as though he was some CEO or president. A suit and tie over a button up shirt. But not now. Now he wore a pitch black shirt without sleeves. It was tight to his body, its collar hugging his neck. With the absence of sleeves Clover could see the coiling snakes tattooed along his arms. They ran all the way from his shoulder down to his wrists, stopping just where a sleeve would hide them completely. Speaking of wrists, on Xander's was some mighty expensive looking Rolex watch, a gold damn near as pure as the cowboy's soul. It matched the expensive rings that wrapped around each of his fingers. Between his lips a cigarette smoldered quietly, misting grey in a thin stream up around his left eye. Somehow he hardly looked a business man at all, Clover reckoned. He looked like a gang kingpin. "You and I both know it would take a lot more than a bullet to keep you down."

Clover growled as that snake snapped back from Susie's shoulder, and she groaned weakly, crumbling to her knees and grabbing the burning holes that had been punched in her arm. Quickly the cowboy knelt down, wrapping an arm around Susie's waist before diving out from between the two. Susie was a larger monster, but monsters had a tendency to be a little lighter than their size might make somebody think, what with their body's being comprised of mostly magic. Still though, it was certainly a strain for the cowboy. But he managed to dart his way around to Melanie, setting Susie next to the still recovering Muffet and Grillby.

"Glad'ja could make it, Clover." Melanie smiled over his way, the two standing protectively in front of their less than combat ready teammates. If those words had come out of anybody else, Clover would have thought them sarcastic. But he saw the genuine relief in her KIND eyes. He knew she meant it.

Gatherer walked out from the hallway, smiling in that devious way he always did as he joined Cliff. The two blocked the center exit of the cafeteria. Clover's eyes darted from them, to his injured comrades, to the other two available doors. But, just as his brain started to think towards a plan to escape through one of those doors, they were each thrown open.

Through one door Kris dragged Ralsei, the two sprinting full speed. Clover was at first confused, until gnashing teeth shredded through the door, ripping it from its hinges and throwing it aside. Vines poured in from the hallway, curling around the doorway and dragging Horror!Flowey's massive, magic twisted form into the eating area. The creature was big, certainly not the size of an Omega Flowey, but big. Clover reckoned it could stop a car with its face and not suffer over it too much. After it made its way into the room, that young girl walked in behind it, purple eyes still shining ominously behind her glasses.

Across the room, at the other door, Papyrus burst through, carrying a writhing Sans under his arm. Sans was grabbing at his face, clenching his sockets shut tight, trying to keep those blue flames from escaping. They crept through his sockets and his fingers though, slipping from between his teeth. Papyrus looked exhausted as well, sweat dripping down his bones. If there was one thing those skeleton boys lacked, Clover thought, it was stamina. As the brothers from separate timelines raced to meet everyone else at the center, Demon kicked open the doors behind them, grinning wickedly.

"... Well." Clover frowned after everyone made it to the center. The capable formed a circle around the incapable, each scanning their foes carefully. Meanwhile, more of Gatherer's soldiers - Whimsalots, Knight Knights, Madjicks, Final Froggits, Astigmatisms - flooded in to the room and formed a perimeter around the void pirates, surrounding them completely. "Anybody got a good one liner 'fore we start kickin' ass?"

"MOTHER FUCKER!"

Clover's eyebrows raised at that before his brain could even recognize the voice that had uttered those words. But, when spikes of ice exploded up beneath the ranks of monsters that Gatherer had employed, he got a pretty good idea.

From the very same hole that Cliff had blown in the wall of the eating area earlier Lexi the Predator skated in, ice forming under her feet to propel her through the ranks that she was shredding with her scythe. The ice stream lifted from the ground at her feet, carrying her into the air and over any remaining obstacles.

She jumped from the pillar of ice she had been riding, letting it blast ahead and crash loudly through more of Gatherer's cannon fodder. She stood there, scythe tight in her hands and expression twisting with fury. Over her left eye a crimson flame had exploded to life, starkly contrasting the icy mist that floated up from between her grinding teeth. It was snowing now, the room was quite literally freezing.

"XANDER, GET YOUR PUSSY ASS TO THE FRONT LINE." Predator shouted so ferociously that the remaining ranks ahead of her flinched. "YOU N' ME NEED TO HAVE A TALK!"

Things were quiet for a moment, monsters silently stepping aside. They obediently formed a path, letting their leader strut ever calm to the very front, Cliff right by his side. At about the same time, wing beats resounded, and The Gatherer lifted his head and rose his eyebrows.

Ink wings spread wide behind me, I landed by Predator's side. My own glare - though significantly less terrifying than Lexi's - was transfixed on Xander as well. My fists clenched at my side, and my left eye ignited in red as I steeled myself. I hadn't seen Xander in awhile, and he certainly carried a lot more presence than he had before.

"... My my." He blinked a few times, expression seeming genuinely surprised as he stared at me. The violet of his eyes was just as piercing as ever, if not more so. "Angel The Hacker. How long has it been?"

"Skip the pleasantries, Xander." I lifted my hand, snapping my fingers without ever looking away from him. A moment later, white lights glowed above us, and Gatherer let his eyes roll upwards to spot the halo of Beat Blasters that formed in the rafters of the room, aiming down at the surrounding forces. "I ain't feeling friendly after seein' this shit."

"..." Thoughtfully, The Gatherer stared awhile longer at the looming blasters. Then, he shut his eyes, exhaled slowly, and lifted one blinged out hand. "Eden, portals if you would please. I believe we've made our point."

At the other side of the room, a short girl with medium length dark brown hair nodded. Her lips moved quickly in some strange whispering that was impossible to hear from my distance. Soon after, rifts opened in reality at the backs of Gatherer's ranks. Skillfully his soldiers marched backwards through the warps between dimensions, their eyes never leaving us.

"Made your point?!" Predator repeated with a snarl, stomping one foot forward and cocking her scythe back. It's blade glimmered, icing over a light blue. "You honestly believe I'm just gonna let you-?!"

Predator was stopped from sprinting up and clobbering Gatherer by a rough hand that planted itself on her shoulder. She looked back to the gold souled young man who had grabbed her with rage burning in her eyes, but then she stopped. His look was calm, but stern. He didn't say a word, but everything about him was saying "Stop. Wait. Think about the situation."

And, begrudgingly, Predator did just that. She chewed her cheek, looked back ahead, and silently watched Xander's smug face get further and further away towards the filling rifts.

"We'll have to talk some other time, Lexi." Maliciously his lips curled, and he tilted his head just a little, hands folded neatly behind his back. "I'm sure whatever you wanted to say couldn't have been that important anyway."

Ice formed under Predator's feet, and she let out a low growl. But, she didn't lunge. She knew bait when she saw it. Hard headed as Lexi was, she was no idiot.

As The Gatherer took a step back into the portal, his purple peepers shifted over to me. His smile uncurled then, became a scowl. There was nothing but disdain in his eyes, hate and reserved fury when he looked at me. As he disappeared, and the portals shut behind him and the rest of his following, I could only come to one conclusion.

*He knows what you did.

"..." I sighed, lowering my head and letting the glowing Beat Blasters disappear from over our heads. I had put up a stern front, but deep down I was less than confident.

 _"You really are too KIND."_

... I was in no mindset to fight.

I turned, looking over my shoulder to the group of random AU characters. Some of them looked to me, but whenever we made eye contact, we never spoke. I tried my best to keep the pity off my expression. Something told me none of them would want it.

Lexi knelt down, talked to some of the injured. She talked to the ones standing, too. Basic questions. "Are you okay?" "Does it hurt?" "Do you think you can stand?" Surprisingly, she had put aside the hows and the whys for now until she knew everyone was okay.

I didn't listen much to the conversations that went on. I was in my own head as my eyes glossed over the destroyed room around me. It was hard to fathom, reminded me of things I would rather not think about. Things like Character. Future's ruined kingdom. F Chara.

"Angel."

I was shaken from my thoughts, swiftly looking over my shoulder to the call of my name. Lexi stood there, her back to me. Her hair shadowed her eyes while she watched the cowboy - I'd overheard that his name is Clover - and Papyrus carry Susie on a stretcher out of the kitchen, presumably to some kind of medical bay. At Lexi's sides her fists clenched brutally tight, nails slicing the palms of her hands. This sent vermilion streams out over her fingers, dribbling bloody rain to the floor below her. But then, crimson began misting out from between her knuckles, presumably healing this new injury.

"... What's up, Lex..?" I asked softly and carefully, turning to face her. Slowly, she lifted her head, and black strands fell around her one berserk left eye as it landed upon me, flooring me with all of its intensity. The room got another few degrees colder, and she spoke.

 **"Our priorities just changed."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	42. Chapter 42: Mr Blue Sky

**Thanks go to Andyfire123, Wingah, Doctah Sawbones, 10burgers, Jack54311, Spencer the Gamer, Guest, Zack Frost, Poetic, Acoolnamme, Fixer140.85, Genowar, Sonic245, Linki, WhoWritesThisCrap, Chara Moonstone, pokemon122000, and NBoss01.**

 **I think you guys are gonna like this chapter. ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale. (Or any of the other non-DoubleTale AU characters that are currently running around in the story.)**

* * *

 **"Our priorities just changed."**

Ah shit.

"... Lexi, I want you to think about this." I spoke quietly, taking a step closer to her. I lowered my head some, my eyes never leaving hers. I bore the weight of her gaze, heavy as it was.

"He fucked up my home and hurt my friends." The Predator glared up at me from under the shadow of her eyebrows. Her right eye was covered by shade, and all that was visible of her left was the smoldering red DETERMINATION that stabbed clear through the dark. It reminded me of some rabid animal, some carnivore stalking in the dark. With a predatory chill her voice slithered out from between her grinding teeth. "There's nothin' to think about."

"Look, Lex, I'm pretty outta the loop on what G's been up to, but judging from the literal army he brought to your doorstep?" I pursed my lips, shrugging and slowly gesturing out to the devastated dining hall we stood in. "I'm takin' a wild stab at it and saying we're a little outgunned."

"But we've got something he doesn't." The corner of Predator's mouth curled upwards just a little, and I grimaced. I knew her crooked smile better than anyone, and I knew it didn't go away until she went through with whatever lunatic plot she had in mind. Mules weren't half as stubborn as Lexi, and that's a fact.

I knew were she was going, and I rolled my eyes with exasperation. As my shoulders sunk, I spoke only to be cut off. "Don't say it-"

"We've got you!" She concluded as her lips curled further, and I groaned a little dramatically when she grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Eugh, I knew it was comin'..." I mumbled, clenching my eyes shut and tilting my head back. She got my attention though, shaking me until my eyes went wide and I looked back down to her.

"C'mon, Angel! Don't play dumb!" Predator squeezed my shoulders, leaning in some and making me lean back. "You n' me both know you're far from the same scrawny dork you were before we got here!"

"Yeah but I'm not enough to handle-"

"Together, Angel!" Lexi knew what I was gonna say, and I figured that made sense. She knew me just as well as I knew her, after all.

 _"... You're the only person I can trust..."_

... Or, almost as well.

"All of us! You, me, and my entire crew!" Predator threw one hand back, gesturing out to the pirate ship that surrounded the two of us. "We pull up and turn it up to eleven, sneak attack style! His whole stupid compound will be up in smoke before he knows what happened!"

"What you're talking about is a suicide mission, Lex!" I growled with a deathly seriousness, leaning in some and putting a hand over the hand she kept on my shoulder.

"I do suicide mission's all the time, and not one of 'em have killed me yet!" Predator defended with the utmost confidence, her hard headed nature making me groan.

"Hacker's got a point, boss." A southern drawl caught both mine and Lexi's attention, and we both looked to Clover, who was making his way back across the cafeteria towards the two of us.

"'Sides, even if we did wanna rain hellfire down on Gatherer's congregation," The cowboy crossed his arms, and judging by the frown on his face, I guessed he definitely _did_ want to do that. "Last I checked we don't got the code we need."

"Ahem."

Once more a new voice entered the conversation, and my green eyes narrowed when I spotted the little grey-scale Frisk that stood to the right of the three of us. CORE Frisk, if memory served. The little monochromatic void walker that had lead Chara and I down the path to fight Character. I hadn't seen them since they had brought us back to our home timeline after that battle, and it'd been even longer since I had said a word to them.

They stood there, hands folded behind their back. Those empty peepers stared right up at the three of us, but I couldn't help but notice they never collided directly with my own eyes. C!Frisk's expression was stoic, not expressive in any one way. Once they were certain they had our attention, they spoke.

"I think I can help."

 **Chapter 42: Mr. Blue Sky**

 _"Hey, don't go trying to foreshadow."_

* * *

"Frisk?" Predator furrowed her brows with some confusion, taking a step towards the void child. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I said, Predator." C Frisk remained composed, even with all eyes on them. Back straight, their expression never shifted as they stared up at Lexi. "I'm here to give you all a hand with The Gatherer."

"A hand?" I repeated with a hint of distrust in my voice. I crossed my arms over my chest, watching the monochromatic kid from the lower right corner of my eyes.

"Ain't you the one who's always goin' on about how y'ain't a military dispatcher?" Clover didn't sound too assured, either, tilting his head some while he watched C Frisk.

 _They sure acted like one when they were sending me n' Chara off to deal with Hacker and Demon._ I couldn't help but think, my suspicious frown cracking just a little further down my face.

"Ya can't be here to give us backup." Clover concluded, shoving his hands into his pockets. He never looked away from C Frisk, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"What's goin' on, Frisk?" Predator, who seemed to be the most trusting out of the three of us, knelt down to be at eye level with the grey ghosty. "Whaddaya got for me?"

"You're right Clover, I have no intention of giving you all any backup." A smile crept up their face then, and their empty eyes drifted from the cowboy to The Predator. "Nor do I think you will need it. I'm quite familiar with your work."

Predator grinned a little at that, but it seemed fake to me. I wouldn't lie; something about CORE Frisk rubbed me the wrong way. There was an edge to them, a certain aura that reminded me too much of my own. Something about them was dishonest, or maybe secretive. It was hard to place, but there was something off about them.

"I'm here to provide you with the gateway code for Gatherer's timeline." C Frisk said that sentence like it answered every question we had. What was worse was that Clover and Predator reacted like it had in fact answered their previous question.

"Wait, you know how to get to Gatherer's timeline?" Predator questioned quickly, her eyes going semi-wide. It was clear Frisk's words had more than got her attention. "Well why didn'tcha just say so?!"

"I'm everywhere, Predator. Of course I have the code." A small smile played at C Frisk's lips as they saw Predator's face light up. "And I'm happy to hand it off to you."

"Now hold yer horses." Clover put a hand out in front of Lexi, taking a step towards C Frisk and watching them curiously. "Y'ain't usually one for insightin' violence, Frisk."

"Yeah, that's true..." Predator nodded contemplatively, her eyes darting over to Clover before moving back to Frisk. Looking at the void walker again, she squinted suspiciously. "And you haven't exactly seemed to be the biggest fan of the way we do things in the past, either. Why's it different now?"

"I may not always agree with your loose cannon style, but your group gets results, and they remain on the right side of the tracks. And I respect that." CORE Frisk remained composed, nodding their head once. "And while I prefer to evade battles, These are violent times. And The Gatherer is a monger of fear that grows more powerful with each passing day."

"... So you want us to get ride of him?" A little smirk tugged up Predator's lips once more as they caught on to C Frisk's intentions. "You're usin' us to tie up loose ends."

"The Gatherer is an enemy we have in common, Predator." C Frisk blinked those big black eyes a single time. "I'm not using you, I'm working with you towards a common goal."

"... Hmm." Lexi shut her eyes for a sec, and she took a deep breath. Then, after a moment of thought, she stood, and her crooked grin ripped right up her face. Standing tall, she put both hands on her hips. "Alright, you got a deal! You tell us how to get there, and we'll kick Xander's teeth in!"

"Alright, wait." I finally interjected, raising one hand and catching everyone's attention. "I'm uh... A little outta the loop here."

"Wassup, Angel?" Lexi furrowed her brows and crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head to the side some.

"What is a 'code', and why do we need it?" I felt pretty dumb asking that question, but I didn't have a clue what the three of them had been talking about.

"Oh wow, you really _have_ been living the sheltered life." Predator laughed a little, bringing one hand to her mouth.

"I _was_." I responded dryly, an exasperated frown curling my lips downward. Lexi didn't seem to notice the tone of my response though, because she kept grinning.

"Well, basically, the multiverse kinda works like the internet. Different timelines are like different websites." Lexi explained patiently. "Just like you need a URL to get to a website, you need a code to get to a timeline."

"These codes are extracted by the more skilled members of the multiverse and traded around on the multiverse black market for people like me or Gatherer." Lexi kept explaining, and I nodded along, showing I understood. "But, there are a handful'a people who can get around without those codes. Gasters, CORE Frisk here, and Error Sans - before you aced him - for example, have the ability to jump wherever they want."

"It's because of our infusement with the code, or in Error's case ability to manipulate in to our will." C Frisk continued Lexi's explanation, and my eyes glossed over to them. "It's not unheard of for a Hacker to gain these abilities as well, but it _is_ beyond rare."

"Okay, what about Chara?" I cocked a brow at the two, crossing my arms over my chest. "Back in the day they used to jump through portals all over the Underground. They even left our timeline and went out into the void to help me deal with Error."

"Well yeah, that's their own timeline. It's pretty darn easy to learn your own timeline's code and jump around through it. Especially in a smaller, controlled space like the underground." Lexi put one hand on her hip, raising the other. "Once you're already in a website, you have access to most of what it has to offer. You get me?"

"Hmm..." I grabbed my chin, furrowing my brows in thought. I nodded once or twice, "Yeah. I guess that makes sense."

"The code for Gatherer's timeline is very well spread. It has to be, so he can bring in those who want to join him." C Frisk held their hands behind their back while they spoke. "But, in the same way that websites can be protected by pass codes and firewalls, Gatherer's timeline is protected by several check points. That's how he controls who gets in and who gets out.

"Huh. Well that explains a lot." I kept my grip on my chin, thinking for another moment or two. But then, suddenly, I jumped, looking back over to Predator with panic in my eyes. "Wait, does that mean you got the code for my timeline off the black market? Is the doorway to my home just floating around out there?!"

"Oh yeah." Predator nodded calmly, her tone not the least bit comforting. "I'm honestly surprised you haven't faced more problems. That code was _really_ easy to get my hands on."

"It's because of the way you crushed Error Sans, and the wings you gained when you faced off with Chara six months ago." C Frisk, too, was dishearteningly calm. "There are few hunters across the void who see any gain from picking a fight with you of all people."

"I guess I did make a pretty good first impression by laying the smack down on Error..." I thought aloud, eyes glossing downward while I nodded quietly to myself. I figured since Chara and I had used my body to become Character, - not to mention that we did so while hidden under a barrier of keys - no one had really noticed that we were fused. They probably thought that power was all my own.

"You can say that again." Predator nodded once, the corner of her mouth being tugged up some. It was as though I had impressed her. "After that, all the big names out in the Multiverse started keepin' an eye on you."

My eyes narrowed some at that, my thoughts once more being drawn back to what Character had told me as I lay dying. Everyone had their eye on me. I was a much bigger deal than I had originally thought, and if I was really such a hot topic out here, then...

*That quiet life of yours just keeps getting further and further away.

"... CORE Frisk." I lifted my head, looking to the monochromatic child with a deep frown and a DETERMINED gleam in my eye. "Is there any way to get the kind of protection Gatherer's timeline has on my own timeline?"

"Yes." They answered with ease, never blinking under my stare. "It's far from impossible."

"... Then I'll help you all get rid of Gatherer." My eyes narrowed, jaw clenching some as my expression grew suddenly fierce. "But as payment, I want my home protected."

"..." C Frisk stared up at me for several long seconds, like they were thinking. But then they smiled, giving their answer. "Deal."

"Good." I nodded to them, before turning my head back to Predator. "Just a few more questions. How are people watching me?"

"Well, out in the void anybody can watch. That's why everybody saw your fight with Error. As for timelines... Well, it's similar to the idea of codes that transport between timelines." Lexi gave more exposition without a fight, resting both hands on her hips now. "But these codes are cheaper, and don't last forever. They pretty much just give people a ticket to watch what you've got goin' on for a few hours."

"And how do these codes get around?" I furrowed my brows with some confusion, tilting my head a little to the right.

"There's one big provider who floods the market with 'em." Predator shrugged her shoulders calmly. "Not sure who they are or why they do it. Not to mention _how_ they do it."

"Mm." I hummed thoughtfully, turning my furrowed brows to C Frisk for an answer. The monochromatic child shrugged though, as if to tell me they had none. That made me furrow my brows with displeasure, and while I can't say I wholeheartedly believed those words, I didn't press any further. "And can I get a firewall for unwanted viewers on my timeline, too?"

"Sure can." They nodded with their simple answer.

"Put it on the bill." Was all I said, waving one finger in a quick circle. Then, I turned back to Lexi.

"Now that that's outta the way, I gotta ask about a few more things." My eyes narrowed as I spoke, a deathly serious tone creeping into my voice. "First off,"

 **"What _exactly_ has everybody been up too since I last saw 'em?" **

* * *

"And after today's assault, The Predator will certainly think twice about hindering our goals again!" Xander, once more dressed in his red on black suit and tie, spoke clearly and proudly into a microphone attached to his podium, and through a series of speakers his voice reverberated through the massive crowd.

Monsters and humans, lightners and darkners alike all gathered below his stage. Their diverse colors and faces swirled into a beautifully supportive crowd that had been cheering and clapping every chance they got throughout all thirty minutes of his speech. But, as The Gatherer rose his hands high above his head, they quieted their roars of admiration.

"Thank you all for trusting in me." He spoke as he lowered his hands, that winning smile curling his lips into an expression that appeared genuinely appreciative and humble. "With each and everyone one of you standing behind me, we will build a safe and pure multiverse for everyone to enjoy!"

As applause once more broke out, Xander straightened his arms at his sides, bowing his head before those he had united under his flag. Then, he straightened his back, and stepped back away from his soap box.

"If I may now have your attention." In his place Eden stepped up, dressed in an elegant purple dress. It flowed down to her ankles, where it matched the violet flats that she wore. Face remaining stoic, she began calmly explaining to the crowd to exit the courtyard in a calm and orderly manner. "... Our brave Froggit guards will escort you all through the governing district and back into the shopping and living districts. If you would please follow..."

Xander stepped down the wooden steps on the back of the stage that had been set up in the massive courtyard of the governing district, And Cliff followed close behind, hands folded behind his straightened back.

The civilization he was building was split into three separate layers. On the very outer layer was the military and worker district, where his soldiers trained and prepared while maintaining a protective watch over the city. This was also where construction workers and contractors remained, working diligently on projects and plans for further expansion of The Gatherer's ever growing empire. Next were the living and shopping districts, where the civilians lived peacefully, protected and held close to their leader, who had purposely put their district between his and the military's. This instilled a trust in the people, showed that their leader trusted them with his future as they did theirs with him. He also always invited them inside, past his gates and into his home to give his speeches and flex his silver tongue, further demonstrating that though his home was gated, they were not being kept out.

Of course what they didn't understand was that in the final and smallest district - the governing district - was inhabited by his closest and most powerful allies. The district was essentially a gated community, consisting of three massive mansions that formed a half circle around the neatly kept courtyard, which was decorated with flower beds, well trimmed bushes, and one large fountain as its center piece.

On the left was the science and research center. It was where his doctors and scientists ran their tests and gathered information on the possibilities of certain plans Xander had for the future. It was where Error Sans' body was being kept alive and his mind reconditioned, and where The Hacker remained healing after his gratuitous battle fused with Demon against The Ascended Heir, Chara.

On the right was the strategy hall, where The Gatherer would meet with his trusted officials and advisers to plan his next moves. It was the smallest of the three buildings, requiring nothing but storage for written and downloaded documents along with a few separate rooms of varying sizes for discussions and debates.

And at the center, reaching high into the sky, was the largest building of the three. The housing center. It was built with hierarchy in mind. On the first floors were the less important. Scientists, researchers, advisers. On the next floors were his personal guards and consultants. People like Cliff and Eden. And finally, in the towering suite that peaked the structure was The Gatherer's home. It boasted a fantastic spire, where Gatherer could watch out over the whole world around him from his office window.

"A fantastic speech today, Xander." Cliff commented as he caught up with Gatherer, still keeping up his posture as the two now walked side by side.

"Thank you, Clifford." Xander flashed him a smile, one so pretty that Cliff couldn't help but return it. Seeing that, The Gatherer turned his head skyward. It was an overcast afternoon, keeping things unfortunately grey and a little gloomy here in paradise. Still, his smile remained. "A nice day today, isn't it?"

"Hm?" Cliff followed Gatherer's eyes to the clouds, where his brows furrowed some. "I don't know. Isn't it a little too cloudy?"

"I like cloudy days every now and again." Xander explained with a soft, nostalgic expression. "Reminds me of home."

"Aww." Clifford's lips curled up his face further at that, finding Gatherer's nostalgia quite sweet. "You know, you've never told me much about where you came from, Xander."

"Hmm..." Gatherer hummed thoughtfully, before looking back down and to the metal gate of the housing center that they were approaching. Demon leaned against the fence, arms crossed with a frown plastered on their face. Xander huffed with some amusement just before the two got within earshot of them, "Another time, Clifford."

"Gatherer." Demon greeted with a sour tone, eyes following Xander as he stepped up to the center of the gate. Dutifully Clifford stepped up to a keypad beside the bars, swiftly punching in the code.

"Demon." Xander greeted with much more cheer, his lips coiling into a slight smirk. "You should be smiling, you contributed to a great cause today."

"Whatever." They answered with an icy squint. This made Cliff take an aggressive step towards them, but Gatherer rose his hand calmly, and he stopped in his tracks with the utmost obedience. Demon didn't acknowledge this, instead getting to their point. "Predator had Cter with her."

"Yes, I saw." Gatherer responded, hands folded behind his back as the metal of the gates finished sliding open for his entry. "I believe you and The Hacker have a sort of history with the Angel who defeated Error Sans, correct?"

"Him and his stupid Chara." Demon growled, that frown cracking deeper into the stone of their expression. Gatherer and Clifford walked past the gates, and they walked after them, the metal bars closing behind the three.

"Thought so." Gatherer nodded once, glancing over to Demon as they caught up with him. He always walked at a brisk pace, a rare showing of his usually concealed eagerness to get ahead. "Have you come to bestow some important information upon me? How kind of you!"

"Mhm." Demon groaned, squinting irritably at The Gatherer from his compliment. "Look, I don't like you or believe in your cult, but I _am_ currently under your roof. And I can't get outta here until Hacker recovers. So I'd like for things to stay safe here."

"You don't believe in my timeline's defenses?" Gatherer cocked a brow at Demon as Clifford walked ahead, getting to one of two large wooden doors leading into the building and holding it open for the two of them.

"I haven't seen your timeline's defenses." Demon answered calmly, iced over red eyes watching The Gatherer carefully. "What I _have_ seen is the kind of power Cter The Angel possesses."

"I'm familiar with his capabilities. It was why we left The Predator's ship prematurely." The Gatherer's eyes drifted ahead, his expression showing nothing to read. "His appearance made potential loss weigh more than potential gain. He can be dealt with on a later date."

"... When Hacker and me were Character, we saw something." Demon too stared ahead, their ruby eyes narrowing painfully. "Something that put our combined power to shame. Something that came out of Cter."

"... Hm?" Gatherer paused there, in front of the elevators leading upwards to the other floors. Cliff stopped with him, and the both of them watched Demon curiously and apprehensively. "And what would that have been?"

"We punched a hole in him. Almost split him in half vertically." Demon turned their head to look at Gatherer, their jaw clenching. It made them tense, the image that was appearing in their mind. "And he got up. He got _stronger_. Stronger than us. Stronger than anything we've ever seen."

"..." The Gatherer's lips bent downward some, a rare frown on a face that usually deals in shiny silver smiles. "... And why haven't I heard of this yet?"

"It was only for a minute. We sprung a trap and caught him off guard." Demon lowered their head some, shadows slipping along their expression. "But if we hadn't... He would have kept getting stronger."

"He was changing, Gatherer. But I don't know what he was changing into." Their hands clenched into fists at their sides, face a bitter scowl. "All I know is if he was pushed to do it once, it can happen again."

"..." Xander shut his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply through his nose. He exhaled quietly, and then he opened those violet spheres once more. "Thank you, Demon. I will take this information very seriously and take careful precautions to keep you and The Hacker, as well as the rest of my people safe."

"Whatever. Just don't try to send me to my death against that lunatic." Demon spat coldly, stepping back away from the conversation and turning to walk away. "I'm going to check on Hacker."

The two stood in silence for a few long seconds, waiting for Demon to disappear beyond the front door. Then, Cliff glanced over to Gatherer, concern in his eyes. "Do you believe what they said?"

"They have no reason to lie." Gatherer stated simply, turning around and pressing the button to call the elevator.

"... I don't mean to question your judgement sir, but I don't trust them." Cliff confessed as the elevator doors opened before the two of them. "They clearly aren't dedicated to our cause. They're just here to survive!"

"Even a rat can be trained, Clifford." Xander sighed with exasperation, taking a step into the elevator. Cliff followed after him, and the doors shut behind the two of them. "Give it time. Those two are a very valuable asset, they just need a bit of conditioning."

"Anyway, I'm exhausted." Xander confessed as the elevator began to ascend, his hands falling from behind his back and his shoulders sinking some. "I think that's enough work for one day."

"Hm." Cliff smiled a little at that, letting his own uptight posture dissolve as things got more casual. "You make a good point."

"I always do..." Xander yawned, leaning his head against Cliff's shoulder and shutting his eyes. The elevator came to a stop a few seconds later, and the doors slid open to reveal the top floor.

"Uhh... This is your stop, isn't it, Xander?" Cliff snerked some, glancing over to Gatherer, who hadn't opened his eyes yet.

"Mnn... Tired." Was Xander's simple response. "Carry me."

Cliff laughed at that, but didn't hesitate to scoop his boyfriend up in his arms with ease. His cheeks tinged a light pink shade, he shook his head. He teased lightheartedly, "You're such a baby."

"Saving the multiverse takes a lot out of a man, Clifford." Xander answered with ease, resting his head against Cliff's chest as he was carried towards his room door. "So much so that I'm afraid I'll need you to look after me for the rest of the night."

"Oh, so _that's_ your big plan." Clifford smirked with genuine amusement, nodding his head. He reached the door, leaning in to take the knob in his hand and turn it, pulling the doorway open. "You know if you wanted to spend time with me you could have just asked."

"This is no simple 'hang out' session, Clifford." Gatherer peaked an eye open to look up at the man carrying him. "If you don't lay on the couch and watch Netflix with me, I could die."

That made Cliff laugh harder as he pushed the door shut behind the two with his boot, stepping into Gatherer's home.

"Well, if it's a matter of life and death, then I won't let you down, sir."

* * *

After we'd made our decision to raid Xander's base, Lexi gave me the low down on everything I had missed. From her time gathering pirates like her full name was Monkey D. Lexi to The Anarchist's circus performance with Jevil. She filled in as many blanks as she could, told me about Gatherer's time gaining power and a cultish fanbase that would follow him into the maw of Death itself. It was a lot to process, but I knew it would be from the get go. I tried my best to just pay attention and not get particularly introspective, because I knew I had a big problem with doing that.

After that, C Frisk got everyone together and gave us what was essentially a power point presentation on ways to execute our attack, along with all the codes and data we needed to get into Xander's timeline. They even provided a few shaky photos of The Gatherer's base of operations and explained its lay out.

Apparently, his civilians were between him and his military. His own base was at the center of his city, not unlike our gang's mansion back in the old days. With C Frisk's information, Predator's pirates devised a plan. I was in the discussion as well, but hardly said a word. I just gave my input on what I could do, what parts I could play.

We decided that we had to strike as quickly as possible to throw Xander off. He had expected to damage Predator's gang after all, to slow them down. He would never anticipate a counter strike tonight, so that's when we decided to make our move.

For now, we were getting as prepared as we could. Muffet's spiders had worked for hours to web scrap metal over the holes punched in Predator's ship. Ralsei and that green eyed girl - Melanie, I think her name was - healed everyone up as best they could with their magics. Everyone seemed to recover very well, no one had been too seriously injured. The one who got the worst of things was Susie, who currently had the shoulder Gatherer's snake had bit wrapped in white medical tape. Still, she claimed - loudly - that she was fine, and to be fair, she certainly moved around like she wasn't in any pain.

Currently, I was sitting on a semi-burnt couch, staring down at my hands as I leaned forward. I twiddled my thumbs, emerald spheres narrowing thoughtfully at my bony fingers. I didn't think I was ready for this. I'd never been in a fight like this one, after all. I'd only ever taken on one opponent at a time, and in this invasion of Gatherer's compound, there was a chance I'd have to take on an entire army if and when shit went sideways.

Not to mention that I hardly knew my comrades, and they hardly knew me. I also didn't know my enemy, or really have any current beef with him. Sure, Gatherer's a bad dude supposedly doing bad stuff, but... It's not like that's _my_ business, right? I had flexed my muscles, summoned my Beat Blasters when I showed up earlier, and that managed to scare Xander off. But honestly I had no idea if I would have even been able to pull the trigger if he had called my bluff. That was... So many monsters. So many people. I didn't know them, how could I hurt them?

 _"You really are too KIND."_

... Yeah, these days, I am. Hacker was right about me. I'm a coward, preferring to hide and lie and cheat. I scurry away from the tough decisions, try to stay safe in my neat bubble of a timeline where my only problem is a growing crush on my worst enemy turned good friend. Which was a mess that I was far from ready to think about.

I lifted my head, glanced over to Lexi across the room. She was talking to that Sans, her back to me. I didn't know how to feel about her. I didn't know what to think of what she had offered me last night. I was afraid. I was afraid and uncertain and I wished I could crawl under a rock and hide from all this. Honestly, how had I ever expected to be able to face _Anarchy_ again if I could hardly even face Lexi, who actually LIKES me?

That was another thing. This wouldn't even be over if we destroyed Gatherer - another thing I was far from certain about doing. We still had to go try and save Anthony after this. And how on earth were we gonna pull THAT off?! I can't do that! I can't do _this_! I can't do anything! I have to escape, I have to get out-!

"You still love her, don'tcha?"

"H-huh?! What?!" I jumped, twisting my torso around to face Melanie, who now leaned back over the couch from behind. She rested her chin in her hands, and her brown hair - now down from the bun it had been in earlier - fell around her face, reaching just a little past her shoulders.

"You've been staring at Lexi for like two whole minutes now." Melanie grinned knowingly, her lightly freckled cheeks being pushed up and forming little dimples. "You've still got it bad, don'tcha?"

"Wha- N-no! I mean, maybe-? W-what kinda question is that?!" I snapped accidentally, jumpy eyes watching Melanie through widened sockets. I retracted about as much as I could, essentially forming a ball of flesh and anxiety at the end of the couch. "M-me and her are just friends these days!"

"Aw, c'mon, you don't need to be so twitchy!" Melanie unceremoniously flipped over the couch's back, landing on the cushions on her own back and quickly slinking up to straighten her posture. All the while, her giddy smile never left her face. "She spent the night at your place last night, didn't she? Whatever could it meeeaaaannnn~?"

"S-stop that!" I demanded, my face starting to go pale as she stoked the cold blue fire of my anxieties. "I don't wanna talk about this!"

"Okay, okayyyy." Melanie rolled her eyes like a scolded child. She got comfortable in the couch then, and her smile returned playfully as she looked back over to me. "Geez. Lexi said you were awkward with emotional stuff, but I didn't you'd be this bad."

"... You don't know the half of it..." I mumbled as I sunk into my jacket, eyes narrowing down at my feet. My expression grew numb as I grew quiet, trying my best to hide myself away from the world that surrounded me. Quietly, I found myself wishing I had brought Chara along. They had a way of getting me out of these anxious funks, even if it was only for a short while.

Things were silent for a few moments, Melanie silently humming to herself and bouncing around a little. I figured she probably had a lot of trouble sitting still. Finally, her voice perked up again. "Hey, your soul's red like Kris's, right?"

"Huh? Oh, uh... Yeah." I glanced over to Melanie from the corner of my eye, seeing that she had turned her head to look at me with a curious expression.

"Then how come your eyes are green like mine?" She furrowed her brows and puffed out her cheek, tilting her head to the side. "Lexi's like that, too. Her eyes are PATIENT but her soul is DETERMINED. Did you used to be a KINDNESS soul like me?"

 _"Weak people die when they fight strong people."_

"... I think so. I dunno." I glanced away from Melanie, frown topping off my bitter expression.

"Huh." Melanie smiled a little, looking ahead. She kicked her feet off the edge of the couch, continuing to bounce around like a kid who ate too much sugar. "I guess that gives us somethin' in common, huh? I think that's pretty cool, actually!"

"... Sometimes I wish my eyes were red..." I muttered, my eyes once again dropping to the floor. My thoughts drifted back, images flashing before my eyes. Anthony's ruby eyes, gleaming with childlike wonder back on the playground. Anarchy's murderous stare, stabbing a hole in me from over his shoulder. "... Red like his."

"Aww..." Melanie frowned a little from my words, even though I was saying them to myself more so than I was to her. But then, as quickly as it had disappeared, her lips curled right back up in her happy go lucky smile. "I dunno Angel, I think green is a great color on you!"

"H-huh?" I lifted my head, semi-wide eyes darting to Melanie. Her smile grew a little wider when she saw how surprised I was, a short giggle escaping her throat.

"Wow, you must not get complimented too often!" She lifted a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter and hide her grin. "I just think the green eyes look good on you, is all! I don't think red ones would suit you at all!"

"..." I was quiet for a few seconds, turning my head and staring forward with my exhausted, sunken in eyes. I thought for a minute or two, before finally I spoke up. "... Melanie, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." She responded cheerily, looking right back over to me attentively.

"You, work as a bounty hunter, right?" I didn't turn my head, looking to her out of the corner of my eye. When she nodded, I continued. "So... You've killed someone, haven't you?"

Melanie quieted down some with that, stopped her fidgeting. She paused and nodded silently to herself, looking ahead like she was thinking, too. "... Yeah, unfortunately. I have."

"... How do you do it?" I forced my question out, eyes narrowing painfully as I did so. "My, main trait is DETERMINATION, but even I struggle with... Y'know..."

"... Angel, there are some people that KINDNESS isn't going to reach." Melanie shut her eyes, inhaling deeply. Then, she breathed out slowly, and spoke again. "Sometimes people are too nasty. They're too wrapped up in their hate. They believe too much in their evil."

"Sometimes..." She shut her eyes, hands slowly clenching into fists against the apron that covered down to her knees. "Sometimes you have to pull the trigger."

 _"I don't give a damn. You killed my Granny."_

"... Yeah. I thought I understood that." I squinted bitterly, letting my eyes dart to the side opposite to her. "But, recently, I... I screwed up. I spared the wrong person, and... People got hurt. Somebody died."

"It was all my fault and, now... I dunno." I shut my emerald orbs on the world, hands slowly clenching into fists on my knees. "I feel like I don't know who I'm supposed to spare and who has to die anymore..."

Things were quiet again, and I started to get worried that I'd said too much. I mean, I hardly knew this girl. And yet I had just dumped a phat sack'a my baggage on her that I haven't really shared with anyone else. Wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because of her green eyes. Maybe, because we had that in common, I thought she would understand. I thought she would get it better than anyone without green eyes ever would.

But, just as I gave up hope and opened my mouth to apologize, I felt a had place itself gently upon my back. I looked up with a little surprise, and found that Melanie had scooted closer. She put her arm around me comfortingly, and smiled with understanding as she ran her hand across the back of my shirt in a soothing manner.

"... Thanks, Melanie." The green in my eyes shun a little, and my lips curled into a small smile that was not unlike her own.

"Hey, us greenies gotta stick together!" Melanie gave a big ol' grin, lifting one hand and giving a proud and confident thumbs up. That made my smile rise a little further up my face, and from my place sunken into the couch, I timidly lifted my own hand, returning her thumbs up.

"... Yeah. Us greenies."

* * *

Xander sighed quietly, a slight smile gracing his lips. He laid there, the only light in his living room coming from the TV screen before the two of them. Him and Clifford laid on the couch, Gatherer's head resting on Cliff's chest while Cliff kept an arm around him.

Gatherer liked it, being here like this. He'd never felt what it was like to be so close to someone. To lay his head on their chest, hear their heartbeat in his ear. When he was younger, his parents...

 _"Xander, I want you to promise me something."_

Xander clenched his eyes shut, and hugged Cliff just a little tighter. He wasn't going to think about that now. Didn't need to. He was here, on top of the world. All of his work paying off, everything he'd been clawing tooth and nail towards since he was a boy had expanded much further than he had ever thought it would. Now he had the infinite at his finger tips. But, more importantly, he had the man he loved in his arms. And that meant a lot to him. More than he thought it would.

It was a funny thing. Xander had always wanted everything. To rule, to control. To have legions and armies bow to him. And yet, when he put his ear to Cliff's heart, when he heard the beat of his brave soul, he found his desires shrunken. A simple life with this simple man. That reality would be fine by him.

When this all started, Gatherer hadn't meant his words. His people meant nothing to him, they were all means to an end. That's how Xander had lived his life for a very long time. Humans had not been humans. People not people. Life was an elaborate game. Something like chess or Poker. Maybe more like Monopoly or Yu-Gi-Oh these days. The people around him were pieces or cards, all to be moved or played in just the right way.

But... Cliff believed in him. He believed in Xander and his cause. He believed all of The Gatherer's lies so wholeheartedly that Xander wanted to make them true. This had started as a plan for multiverse domination under the guise of a multiverse peace project. But... When Xander saw the fire in Cliff's eyes. When he heard his heartbeat. Suddenly, Xander wanted to make Cliff's dreams come true.

Maybe this didn't have to be a shameless grab for all the power in the universe.

Maybe... Maybe Xander really could see value in making the world a better place. With Cliff by his side, anything seemed possible.

 **BOOM.**

Gatherer and Clifford jumped with a start to the sudden blast of sound, orange and purple eyes snapping open wide. Then, in the next instant, searing white light blasted in through the windows, spotlights firing in from the sky above.

The two flinched and winced from the massive shift in lighting, and Cliff quickly put an arm over Gatherer, shoving the two of them to the ground to protect from whatever assault may be on its way. They remained there, huddled behind the couch while their eyes adjusted.

"AY, XANDER!"

The Gatherer's violet eyes snapped open wide as a familiar voice blasted down from a megaphone, raining down over the world he had constructed like filthy garbage acid rain.

"I DON'T THINK YOU HEARD ME EARLIER, SO I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN, _LOUDLY_!"

Growling with fury, fire ignited in Xander's eyes. He shoved himself up from under Clifford's arm, stomping right over towards the large bay window that the spotlights were pouring into from outside. He now wore only his dress pants and a button up white shirt that was unbuttoned to half way down his chest, looking significantly more disheveled than he had ever been seen before. Still, as he stomped fearlessly into the light, he unbuttoned the cuffs of his button up, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows and revealing the scaly necks and heads of his snake tattoos.

When he reached the window and looked up, his eye twitched and his teeth began to grind with nothing but wrath. There, floating in the sky above, was the filthy pirate ship he _thought_ he had put out of commission. Its hanger was open, and at its forefront stood several figures.

At the very center The Predator grinned her wily sneer, aquamarine orbs opened wide while she bared her fangs. Over her left eye red flames burned brightly, and over her head she held her scythe, like a barbarian shaking his spear. In her spare hand she held the megaphone she was using to declare war.

To her left stood The Angel himself. His face covered in the shadows of the hanger, Cter's only defining feature was the one piercing, flaming red left eye that peered down judgmentally from the heavens above. Behind him, brilliant onyx wings spread wide, preparing to send him launching off into the sky.

And to The Predator's right was her cowboy, top half of his face shaded under that tacky hat. Both of his elbows were bent, and his hands pointed the barrels of his two revolvers straight up. He flashed his guns like he was ready to open fire, and his own fangs were bared in a grin that said he was gonna love every second of doing it.

Then, Predator pointed her scythe straight up, and Gatherer growled as he watched massive spikes of ice manifest throughout the sky above. Their eyes connected then, purple and cyan. And as Lexi lifted that megaphone back to her lips, the DETERMINED flame over her eye only burned more violently.

"YOU N' ME NEED TO HAVE A TALK!"

* * *

"What in the-?" Bells on her head jingling, Mad Mew Mew turned her pink doll face up from the small flower garden that surrounded the fountain that she had been watering towards the sky. She scowled with utter disgust when she spotted that pirate ship, fury entering her plastic eyes. "Hey. Hey! HEY!"

On a bench across the courtyard, Eden's eyes darted upwards and out of the book they'd been reading. Her glasses beginning to slip down her mortified face, her analytical purple eyes darted between each of the massive spikes pointing towards The Gatherer's home suite at the top of the housing center.

In a rare show of emotion Eden exploded up out of her seat, throwing her book aside. Horror!Flowey's massive eye watched it plummet to the ground from the space on the bench next to Eden, before darting back up to the sky. As enormous pillars of frozen water blasted holes in The Gatherer's home, Eden screamed, tears forming in her eyes. "SIR GATHERER!"

"What the hell?!" Mad Mew Mew shouted in shock, before taking her eyes off the sky and beginning her sprint towards the front gates of the mansion that was being assaulted. But as she ran, bells jingling, a whistling entered her cat ears, and she spotted a shadow rapidly shrinking over the gateway. Swiftly she stopped moving her legs, skidding to a pause about ten feet from the massive metal crate that smashed down from above, crushing the gate and blocking her path.

At the top of the crate, Kris Susie and Ralsei stood up slowly from a crouched position. Kris drew their blade, throwing it out to their side and letting a _schinng!_ resound as it was pulled from its sheath. Susie pulled her ax off her back and slammed it into the top of the crate, grinning viciously. Ralsei did a quick twirl, gold stars sparking from his green cloak.

"You. You! YOU!" Mad Mew Mew snarled furiously, holding her hand out to the side and letting a pink wand appear in her grasp from her inventory. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! You trash don't have any right to set foot here! ON THE GATHERER'S FRONT LAWN!"

"You worthless void rats..." Eden spoke through grinding teeth, a single stream of tears running down her cheek from under her glasses, the glare of which covered her eyes. From behind her, Horror!Flowey was rapidly growing once more. The beast flailed and twitched, it's massive eye once more splitting vertically and revealing rows of teeth. Wind gusted up under Eden, lifting her hair as her hands clenched into tight fists. "Flowey! Make them suffer for what they've done!"

Flowey's wicked, distorted cackle echoed across the land. The beast grew rapidly, looming over Eden's head and snapping its jaws viciously. Its shrill voice screeched as vines shattered up from the pavement beneath it. "DRINK YOU! I'M GONNA DRINK YOU!"

"..." Expression remaining stoic, Kris took a step forward, their footsteps echoing inside the metal crate they stood on. They knelt at the end of it, hair shadowed eyes never leaving the enemies ahead as their fingers wrapped around a handle atop the crate. Metal quaked and roared as they pulled back the handle, the front of the metal container being pulled open like the door of a garage.

 **"... Drink _this_." **

Once the crate was open and the darkness inside was revealed, heavy footsteps echoed from within. The steps were accompanied by metal screeches, like claws were dragging along the floor of the container. Then suddenly, one large, clawed skeletal hand reached out around the side of the chrome. Its grip folded the steel, crushed it inward as the beast within pulled itself free from its cage.

Blue flames flickered in the darkness, before one large bony snout pushed out of the black. It huffed, sending sapphire embers flicking out a few inches from its nostrils. Next came a draconic skull, adorned with two flaming blue orbs in its sockets, which stared furiously at the prey before the beast. In another few moments, the jagged bones of a draconic, bipedal skeleton monster had stepped from the darkness. Skewered on its back spikes was a blue hoodie, still semi-wrapped around the beast that had outgrown it.

GasterBlaster!Sans stomped one claw down in challenge, his ravenous eyes landing on Flowey, who slithered forward to meet him. The two large creatures squared off in the courtyard, and GB!Sans unhinged his jaw before turning his head skyward. With a thunderous scream, a beam of blue light exploded past his fangs, firing high into the sky as a warning shot. Flowey just opened his disgusting maw though, and his wicked cackle echoed just as loudly as GB!Sans' screech.

The two carnivores planted their feet and vines. They were both fearless. They were both mad with anger.

 **And they were both hungry.**

* * *

"Sun is shinin' in the sky~! There ain't a cloud in sight~!"

There was a beautifully happy smile on his face as he skipped down the sidewalk, turning his features up towards the bright blue sky. The lyrics he was singing were correct, the sky was without a cloud and the sun was sending soothing warm rays down onto his pale skin.

"It stopped rainin', everybody's in the play~! And don'tcha know?"

He bounced his head back and forth as he walked, his long white hair pulled back into a neat and tidy bun on the back of his head. As he danced along down the street as if no one was watching, he spotted three young monster children - a bunny boy, a vulkin, and a Temmie - just finishing up drawing a hopscotch board on the concrete path with their chalk.

"It's a beautiful new day!" Just as the kids cleared out of the way, he hopped right through the hopscotch game, placing his feet perfectly in every drawn square and hopping in a care free manner down from the box labeled 1 to the box labeled 10. As he reached the end, the children clapped their approval behind him, and he spun around, winking one beautiful ruby eye at the three of them. "Hey-ay-ay!"

He spun around and continued on his very merry way, holding his hands in a pyramid above his head and jumping from his tippy toes like some kind of ballet dancer. When he landed, he swiftly pulled back his legs, performing a pirouette surprisingly well. Once he was finished with this motion, he turned swiftly into a driveway.

He eagerly raised his hands above his head before cartwheeling up the paved driveway, right past a rusty purple van. He hopped on up the steps to the front door, where he paused. Taking a moment, he let his arms straighten at his sides and lowered his head, shutting his crimson eyes. Then, he shivered, exhaling slowly while he shook his head back and forth. It was as though he was trying to get rid of the jitters.

He took one more deep breath, clenched his scarred up hands into fists and nodded once to himself. Then, a DETERMINED glint in his eye, he lifted his head, showing a face devoid of all emotion. He brought up his fingers, shoving them in the corners of his mouth and pushing his face into a smile. After that he pulled up his eyebrows to put a pleasant spin on his eyes.

He folded one hand behind his back and reached up with his other, bringing his knuckles to the wood of the door.

 _Knock knock knock..._

"Coming!"

As heavy footsteps approached the door from the other side, he straightened his posture and put both hands behind his back, smiling like a polite and civil young man.

"Howdy!" Asgore greeted with a polite smile after he pulled the door open, stepping into the door frame. He looked a little surprised to see this young man there before him, but remained welcoming and friendly nonetheless. "I don't believe I've seen you around before! How may I help you?"

"Hello, sir." Anthony The Anarchist's loving smile crept further up his well-washed face as his voice slithered up from his throat, respectful and humble and kind. He was all cleaned up, hair pulled back neatly and clothes looking brand new. And as he tilted his head to the side like the goodest boy he could be, his shadow squirmed eagerly behind him. It writhed on the concrete, excited and eager for what was to come. "I just hate to be a bother, but..."

The beautiful scarlet eyes of The Anarchist settled on Asgore, and all the horrors that they had seen lurked just below the surface.

 **"Is Angel home?"**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	43. Chapter 43: Left at the Altar

**Hey! Day early chapter! Hooray! I got this one done early, and I'm probably going to be busy on Mother's Day tomorrow, and I thought some of you might be as well. So, Saturday update! The next update will probably still be two Sundays from tomorrow, as has been the usual the past few months, but who knows? Maybe Saturday will be the new day for updates now? I guess we'll see in two weeks time! Until then, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Thanks go to Andyfire123, Wingah, Zack Frost, WhoWritesThisCrap, Acoolnamme, Chara Moonstone, Fixer140.85, Linki, Tbone8454, CrystalGamer82, Genowar, Jack54311, Pokemon122000, Doctab Sawbones, Stillnyte.**

 **(10burgers forgot to review but he's been so dedicated to being in every beginning authors note that I couldn't bring myself to not mention him. Merry Christmas happy birthday.)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale. (Or any of the other non-DoubleTale AU characters running around.)**

* * *

"... So, he's, not here?"

"I'm afraid not. He left earlier today." Asgore laughed a little nervously, reaching up and scratching the fur that covered the back of his head. For some reason he felt the need to shut his eyes and advert them from the crimson of the man before him. While just a split second ago this young man had seemed polite and cheery, there was now a tension radiating from him that Asgore found hard to understand.

"..." Anarchy's jaw clenched tightly as fury built in his chest. He told himself he knew this was a possibility, that he wouldn't let a set back this minor ruin his mood. To snap himself back into control over his boiling blood, he wrapped his left hand around his right index finger, both his hands hidden behind his back. With a quick pop he snapped his finger into a ninety degree angle in the wrong direction, and the building pressure of his wrath was swiftly relieved. With another pop he snapped the finger back into place, and his facial muscles relaxed, that light smile once more seeming flawlessly civil.

"Oh, well, that's really too bad." Anarchy sighed, letting his eyes drift to the side while he did his best to make his smile look a little disappointed, but not too much. Then, his ruby spheres jumped back to Asgore, a curious glint inside them. "You wouldn't happen to know where he went, would'ja?"

"Hmm..." Asgore furrowed his brows, reaching up with one paw to stroke his beard. His eyes rolled back and forth in contemplation so slow it made Anarchy have to push down the desire to tap his foot. Or, tap his crowbar up the side of Asgore's stupid head. "Not sure... He said he was just running some errands."

"I'm sorry, young man." Asgore frowned apologetically, watching disappointment appear in the eyes of the Anarchist. "I would offer that you stay here until he gets back, but he said he would be late... If you would like, I can take a message?"

"... Yeah." Anarchy's eyes narrowed with a sinister glint, and he lowered his head some, staring up at Asgore from under his eyebrows. As shadows slipped along his face, the corners of his mouth shoved deeper into his cheeks, twisting that polite smile into something disgusting. Something vile. "Leave a message..."

Slowly, Anarchy's left arm straightened out to his side, and Asgore thought he saw some sort of tool sliding down the sleeve of his shirt. This made his brows furrow, confusion setting in on him as he watched this strange human's behavior shift and twist. It was unsettling, the gleam of his eyes, the curve of his grin. There was suddenly an aura about this young man that made Asgore's Monster soul shiver and shake.

 **"I think that's a _great_ ide-" **

"Asgore, who's at the door?"

Suddenly, Anarchy's predatory glare disappeared, replaced by eyes wide with surprise. His grin uncoiled, instead forming lips slightly parted with bewilderment. From behind Asgore, a more familiar goat monster had appeared, peaking over his shoulder with a curious and polite smile.

"Oh, hello, my child." Hands folded over her lap, Toriel stepped up past Asgore to get a better look at The Anarchist. She tilted her head with some curiosity at the stunned way that he stared up at her, before laughing a little. She knew humans especially would react with some surprise when they saw her and Asgore standing side by side, so she dismissed his slacked jaw. "I don't believe the two of us have met! I am Toriel."

Anthony's eyes narrowed just a tad, pain reflecting in them for only a moment as she smiled down at him. He remembered now, as he often remembered when he looked upon her kind. His dream. The mother he could have had. The life he could have lived.

 _"You had me worried, sweetheart."_

 _"I knew you could do it."_

"..." Slowly, Anthony's lips returned to that perfectly polite smile, and the arm he was holding out to his side curled back behind his back. Asgore's own expression lightened some, the corner of his mouth was even pulled up a little. He scolded himself internally for being so paranoid, questioning what reason this boy could possibly have for wanting to harm him, anyway? He was probably just a friend of Cter's.

"... It's very nice to meet you, Toriel." Anarchy's eyes narrowed a little painfully, and his smile was just a bit sad. But, the goat monsters didn't notice, and after a second or two, any semblance of anything but feigned polite joy disappeared. "My name is Anthony."

 **Chapter 43: Left at the Altar**

 _"I've done worse for the sake of the joke."_

* * *

Asgore and Toriel went through some polite motions in introducing themselves, and Asgore explained to Toriel that Anthony was searching for Cter. Toriel repeated what Asgore had told Anarchy about Angel supposedly being out running errands, but he appreciated hearing it in her voice.

They offered him a cup of tea and a piece of pie, but Anarchy didn't have time for those kinds of things. He was a man on a mission, after all. He had come this far, he certainly wasn't going to let that cowardly Angel slip through his alabaster fingers now. And while Asgore and Toriel had no idea who he was or what he really wanted, Badster had told Anarchy that this timeline held someone who did.

"Could you give me directions to the house of Wing Ding Gaster?"

The two goat monsters had been more than happy to oblige, and only asked his reasons for visiting the doctor out of curiosity. Anarchy's answer had hardly answered anything. "I just have some business to discuss with him, is all."

From there, the two assumed he was some colleague in the science world, and that was why he'd wanted to speak with Angel and Gaster. Anarchy scoffed internally at that. He remembered that when Angel wasn't being a backstabbing liar, he had a bit of a techy side. But, externally, he went along with it. If Angel really was on the run, he couldn't cause a scene and alert him to his presence just yet. That would just make finding him even more of a pain in the ass.

Currently, The Anarchist was humming to himself in order to keep his mood light and dandy. He walked right up the driveway of the skeleton house, but didn't bother with the front door. Instead, he went around the side of the house, making his way through the well trimmed grass to the cellar door.

Wicked smile creasing his lips, Anthony The Anarchist lifted his pale knuckles to the metal of the door.

 _Knock knock knock..._

"Come in!"

 ** _Don't mind if I do._**

* * *

Anxiously my eyes narrowed down at the geyser of flame that exploded up from Gatherer's home. Lexi had dropped those massive spikes of ice down upon the structure, bringing her cold along with the wood, brick, and concrete that formed Gatherer's spire crashing down upon him. But, unfortunately, the explosion of heat that raced up a moment later had blasted the debris aside, protecting whoever had created it from the sky that was crashing down on them.

Now, the fire was clearing away, stone raining down around Xander's devastated palace, which was now essentially a man made plateau looming over the rest of his compound. I spotted him there, as the smoke cleared. The Gatherer lowered his hands, the palms of which still sparked a few embers. Slowly he exhaled, a few streams of smoke steaming out past his grinding teeth. Eyes that gleamed a murderous purple darted up to the three of us, and those smoldering hands clenched into tight fists. Behind him his body guard loomed, Cliff standing tall and wearing an equally furious expression.

Predator stamped her foot, and from the hanger of the ship a massive frozen slide spawned. It coiled and curved, racing downwards and blasting in through the wall of The Gatherer's science and research center with a notable crash. She turned her carnivorous eyes on Clover, and she gave a simple order. "You're on, cowboy."

Clover smirked a little at that, before fearlessly jumping over the hanger's edge. He landed on both feet upon Lexi's slide, rapidly descending towards the smoking hole his ride had punched in the wall. As he surfed down the chilled glass, he took aim on that wall with his dual revolvers, and rapid pops rang through the air as he opened fire on his destination. "YEEEEEHAWWWWWW!"

"You 'member the plan, Hacker?" Predator's icy eyes darted to me then, and I nodded convincingly. My expression was carved in stone, emotionless and focused. This resolve made Predator grin, and she turned her own DETERMINED eyes on the two that stood upon Gatherer's shattered pillar.

"Then lets kick some dictator ass!"

* * *

"Sir Gatherer, are you alright?" Clifford asked with the utmost dedication, standing tall just a few steps behind Xander, who's violet eyes never left the enemy ahead.

"I should be asking you that question, Clifford." Narrowing his furious eyes ahead, Xander lifted one hand. Between his fingers a single cigarette appeared, and he flipped it skillfully between his knuckles a few times before placing it between his lips. "I didn't burn you, did I?"

"Not at all, sir." Cliff smirked some, his own eyes drifting skyward. He opened both of his palms, and a tough glove appeared over each of his hands. "Your protective eruption was as effective as it was genius."

"You're such a charmer, Clifford." The corner of his mouth curling, Gatherer lifted his middle finger, and an ember sparked to life on its nail. He lifted this flame to his lips, simultaneously lighting his cigarette and flipping off The Predator. "Even in these dire straights."

"Do you have a plan?" Cliff inquired, stepping up to The Gatherer's side and lifting his fists. He got into a boxer's stance, his hands raised and shielding most of his face while his knees bent only slightly, as though he was ready to spring in any direction and throw a punch any which way, while also being able to block any strike from any angle.

"Do I have a plan." Gatherer scoffed Cliff's words back at him with a playful role of his eyes. "Has a head injury made you forget who you're speaking to?"

"We're running out of time, Xander." Cliff pointed out as he watched The Angel spread his wings from above, flapping them downward and causing a harsh updraft that launched him into the air.

"Mm." Gatherer frowned at that, taking his cigarette between his fingers and pulling it from between his lips. He watched Angel The Hacker curl in air and launch downwards towards the two, and in a matter of seconds his brain meticulously picked apart The Predator's plan. "... They're going to separate us."

"Hm?" Cliff's eyes darted towards The Gatherer, his fists clenching tightly with the anxiety those words caused.

"Listen to me and listen closely. The Predator wants to face me alone, and I am happy to oblige." Gatherer spoke quickly and clearly as The Angel descended upon them with all of his heavenly wrath. "You are The Gatherer's Unbreakable Shield. You will protect us from The Angel's blasphemous light. Is that clear?"

"..." Clifford's expression hardened, orange eyes never leaving the foe that was plummeting down towards him. He nodded once, before knocking his knuckles together. This strike caused orange sparks to crackle out from his fists, and a smirk curled his expression. "Crystal, sir."

"Good. Then you should understand these next instructions quite well." The Gatherer bent at his knees, letting grey smog seep up from between his teeth as he opened both of his palms to the floor beneath him. Sparks crackled to life upon his finger tips, and he gave one last order.

 **"Win."**

* * *

I narrowed my eyes as the wind pulled at my hair, jaw clenching tightly. I was in a nose dive down towards The Gatherer and his body guard, and ink coiled up from my shoulders, jutting outward like onyx spikes to gore my target: Clifford The Brave.

As I descended, though, light blasted out out from The Gatherer's palms, and the rapid combustion launched him right up into the air. This made my eyes snap open wide and my body flinch as he fired right into my path, my stunned green eyes locking with his unflinching purple ones. Swiftly, my right wing beat downward, sending me spiraling around him. He fired right by me, and from the corners of our eyes, we shot each other a look. He was smirking. That unnerved me.

*He's going to tattle.

That had been an anxiety of mine when Lexi pitched this idea. I was the only one resilient enough to handle a one v one with Cliff other than Predator, and she had her eyes set on Gatherer. I knew changing Lexi's mind was impossible, and I knew it would seem suspicious if I tried to do so. I also knew that Gatherer was aware of what I had done; I could see it in his eyes. And if there was one thing Xander liked doing, it was talking.

*Focus.

Right. I turned my head forward, let Gatherer launch himself up on jets of flame to meet Predator while I set my sights back on Cliff. he planted his feet as I raced down towards him, lowering his stance. His body crackled with power, his BRAVE aura shielding him like some electric armor.

The horns jutting from my shoulders were caught in his massive hands, my eyes widening with surprise as I watched him grit his teeth with exertion. Rapidly we slid back across the dust and shattered glass covered floor, Cliff grunting madly as his might struggled against all the momentum I had built up on my descent.

But then, he stopped his backwards sliding. He planted his feet back on his previously raised heels, and he snarled viciously as he yanked me by those ink horns to the right. Then, he spun, letting out a battle cry that surely struck fear into any and all foes as he shit whipped me across the plateau on which we stood. "Is that the best you can do?!"

I was quick to flip and spin in air, landing on the balls of my feet and my left hand and rapidly skidding back. Soon I came to a stop, and as those ink spikes receded back into my sweatshirt, I straightened my back, standing to my full height.

"You never should have come here, Angel The Hacker." Cliff told me with the utmost certainty, those orange eyes focused on me and me alone. He was certain, unshakable. Meanwhile I was uncertain, I was already shaken.

Still, I planted my feet. And as my wings spread wide behind me, I threw one hand out to the side. Ink rapidly slipped up that forearm, coiling around it and covering my clenched fist with a solid spike of black. My cold left eye sparked a red flame, and my expression remained stony.

 **"That's Cter to you."**

* * *

"Come on, Angel..." Demon muttered forlornly, resting one hand on the glowing green glass that separated them and The Hacker. Pain was the only luster in their ruby eyes. "It's been almost a week... How long are you going to make me wait?"

"We're supposed to be a team..." They pointed out quietly, their fingers slowly curling back into a fist against the cool, clear surface. "These cultist nutjobs freak me out. I have no idea how to handle them."

As usual, Hacker didn't respond. His eyes never opened, none of his muscles so much as twitched. There he floated, only kept alive by the oxygen mask attached to his face and the IV in his arm. He had been stripped of most of his clothing before being put in the tank. Most of those clothes had been in tatters, anyway. Now the only thing that covered him were his boxers and the wires attached to each side of his head, as well as each side of his chest.

"... You'd know how to handle them, though." Demon's eyes drifted to the floor, narrowing bitterly. "You're a much better people person than I am. I'm sure you'd know exactly what game Gatherer's playing. You'd probably even know how to win."

 **CRASH.**

"What in the fuck-?!" Demon jumped nearly out of their skin, head snapping right around to face the back wall of the laboratory. The ground was rumbling, noise crashing through all the walls that surrounded them in a way that was entirely metaphorical. Until, of course, a slide made of ice bashed through the concrete of the wall in a very literal sense.

The Demon stood close to The Hacker's healing pod, holding one arm out in front of it protectively. Their ruby orbs watched the hole in the wall carefully while their trademark knife - or, the replacement knife Gatherer had provided them after that _stupid_ other timeline Chara stole theirs - appeared in their grasp, that empty gun appearing in their other hand. Just after they summoned these weapons, gunfire rang out, and bolts of gold energy began firing endlessly through the front wall of the lab.

Demon ground their teeth at this, eyes darting between each ricocheting bolt to make sure not a single one neared the tank that held their Hacker. When none did, and the blasts died down, they lowered their weapons to their side. With a scowl engraved deep in The Demon's face, they began walking towards the slide. Their scarlet orbs were relentless, never blinking as they waited for their trigger happy foe to make themself known.

Their patience was rewarded when Clover raced down the slick ice on his boots, knees bent and poncho whipping around from the velocity at which he descended into the building. The cowboy jumped from the freeze he'd been riding, landing on the tile floor and skidding to a stop. His elbows were bent, the barrels of his pistols pointed straight up.

That didn't last though, as his gold eye quickly spotted The Demon there, and his crosshairs followed not a second later. The Demon had the sights of their own revolver aimed on the JUSTICE soul, and for a moment or two, things were silent in their Mexican standoff.

"... I reckon that gun don't belong to you." Clover finally spoke, gold light shining vengefully under his hat. His words made the corner of Demon's mouth curl upwards, however.

"Oh, this old thing?" They tilted their head to the side, malicious grin growing over their features. "Some monsters were hording it with the rest of their trash."

Clover growled his warning with Demon's words, fingers slipping over the triggers of his weapons.

"No idea how they got it." Demon gave a little shrug, everything about their tone mocking. "Some loser, second rate human must'a dropped it after dying like a total bitch."

"'Least he din't off himself fer a dumbass plan that din't even work." Clover bit back, his own sun dried lips curling up into a smug smirk.

"..." Demon's grin drooped down into a heavy frown, and their eye twitched with withheld rage. Their finger tightened on their trigger, and through grinding teeth they spoke.

"... I'm going to start shooting you now."

"If ya shoot anythin' like ya talk, I ain't got nothin' to be worried 'bout."

* * *

"... So you're telling me..." Sockets without pupils, Sans kept his head low. He sat in Gaster's lab upon a white cushioned stool, digits folded over his lap. "You sent Cter to _fight a war_ because you thought it would make him stronger?"

Gaster growled to himself, placing one hole punched hand over his face. His teeth ground with frustration, his brow bones pressing together. "I understand the situation is not preferable, but-"

"No, you don't." Sans interjected, lifting his head to slam the full weight of the Judge's glare upon the doctor. "If there's one thing that's _obvious_ , it's the complete and utter _lack_ of understanding both you and CORE Frisk have displayed."

"Well what would you have me do, Sans?!" Gaster demanded to know, frustration boiling his marrow as he turned to face the shorter skeleton.

"TELL. CTER. THE. TRUTH." Sans retorted loudly and slowly, hoping that even an idiot like Gaster would understand.

"What?! Are you insane?!" Gaster recoiled, and Sans sockets went wide with complete bewilderment.

"Am _I_ insane?!" Sans repeated back like he honestly could not believe words could ever be ordered in that manner. He threw his hand out to the side, gesturing to the outside world. "Gaster, the man has had one of if not thee scariest guys in the multiverse looming over his shoulder for six months now, and _no one_ has thought to tell him!"

"Well if you're so certain that's a great idea, why haven't you told him?" Gaster challenged, tilting his head and leaning his long spine to loom over Sans some.

"Because I trusted in you and CORE." Sans narrowed his sockets, hopping off of his stool and stepping right up to Gaster. He got right in the doctor's face, glaring up into his cracked eyes. " _Clearly_ that was a mistake."

With that brutal sting, Sans shoved right by Gaster. He made his way towards the staircase that led to the cellar door, opting to leave Gaster with the venom of his words now poisoning him.

Gaster lowered his head, shadows slipping along his skeletal features in the florescent lighting of the basement. He was silent as Sans' footsteps got further and further away, but just before the shorter monster reached the staircase, he managed to speak. "... You don't get it, Sans."

"..." Sans narrowed his sockets irritably at that, turning his circular head to look at Gaster over his shoulder. "What don't I get?"

"Frisk. Chara. Even Hacker." Gaster turned his head as well, looking to Sans from the corner of his eye. "Cter spared them all. It worked two out of three times, and that one failure almost cost him his life."

"What's your point?" Burying his hands in his sweatshirt pockets, Sans turned to face Gaster. He tilted his head back some, those white pin point pupils gleaming in a way that was far from friendly.

"Cter can't pull the trigger." Gaster spoke in a low, quiet voice, like not even he liked saying these words. "He doesn't have the resolve to kill Anarchy."

"That's why he needs to be in the fight he's in." Gaster explained, turning around to face Sans fully. "He doesn't just need to get stronger, he needs to see the line between savable and too far gone."

"... You're wrong again, Gaster." Sans spoke after a few seconds of silence. He'd considered what the doctor had said, mulled it over for a moment. But, ultimately, he knew it to be false from the moment he heard it. "You're treating Cter's KINDNESS like it's weakness. But it isn't."

"..." Gaster frowned at that, a purple glow flickering over his white pupils as his sockets narrowed. "You think so?"

"Cter's KINDNESS kept him from becoming Hacker. Cter's KINDNESS is what pushed him to bet everything on saving us from Error." A lethal blue glow flickering in Sans' own eye, and he lowered his head some, shadows slipping along his features. "Cter's KINDNESS is what stopped Chara's rampage, and it's what brought on their change of heart and ascension."

"..." Gaster didn't know what to say about that. He had to pause. He had to think, for a long time. Perhaps his and CORE's paranoia had misconstrued things. Perhaps he really had been looking at things from the wrong perspective. Finally, after several long moments, he opened his jaws. "... I-"

 _Knock knock knock..._

"..." Gaster shut his mouth when he heard a knock at the door. Him and Sans exchanged a glance, made a silent agreement to bookmark this conversation for later. Then, Gaster forced up his forlorn features into something more welcoming, and he spoke. "Come in!"

 _Creeeeaaaakkkk..._

Sans turned to look over his shoulder with his usual grin, daylight pouring in around the one stepping past the cellar door. He squinted into this bright light, his underground raised eyes needing a little more time to adjust. He tried his best to make out this visitors features, but he could hardly even get an outline. He guessed, "Papyrus?"

"Close."

The cellar door slammed shut, and Sans' eyes snapped open wide. The room seemed to pressurize in an instant, gravity nearly doubled. The florescent lights above flickered and threatened to go out under the weight of the dark. Footsteps echoed like thunder down the slithering, inky blackness that cascaded over the staircase. And as Sans and Gaster both felt cold sweat break out on their respective foreheads and a deathly chill settle over their souls, glowing crimson eyes ripped and tore right through the dark, stabbing fear right through the both of them.

Slowly but surely, one methodical step after another, he emerged from the darkness. The veil of shadow pulled back away from his form, and to the horror of both the skeletons, The Anarchist revealed himself.

He was smiling. Smiling while Gaster's nonexistent heart dropped into his shoes. Smiling while Sans' Judge eyes saw every last drop of blood on his hands. It could fill an ocean, he thought. Taint the sea red.

"Y-you..." Gaster managed to stammer, his body trembling under the terrible weight Anarchy's presence slammed down upon him. he leaned back, resting one hand on the paper covered table behind him. "You shouldn't... Y-you're not supposed to-"

"I know you know who I am. And I know you know why I'm here." Smile never leaving his features, Anarchy tilted his head to the side. His voice was light, carefree, adoring. "Remind me, doc. _Why am I here_?"

"A-Anarchy, hold on." Gaster stammered, taking a fearful step back. Sans was stepping back as well, pupils missing from his eye sockets while sweat dribbled down his brow bone. "W-we can talk-!"

"There's only ONE PERSON I wanna talk to, doc." Crazy flickered in those malevolent eyes, and The Anarchist's lips curled back some, revealing his sharpened fangs. Arms hanging forward some, Anarchy hunched a little as he walked forward, those carnivorous eyes never leaving Gaster. "Remind me doc! Who do I wanna talk to, doc?!"

"A-Angel!" Gaster answered quickly, throwing his hands up defensively. Anarchy's voice, while friendly and comforting a moment ago, had completely changed. It was low now, deep and powerful like some ancient, primordial beast that should have never been awakened. "You're here for Angel, I know! Just please, _stop_ walking forward-!"

"You ain't callin' the shots here! I'm the one givin' orders!" Anarchy snapped at Gaster, continuing to saunter forward. He was stalking, a scorpion looking to feast on the marrow of a rat. "And I'm in a bit of a hurry, so lets make it quick - _where's Angel?_ "

"He said step back!" Sans suddenly snapped, a light blue glow flicking over his fingers as he shoved one hand out towards Anarchy, like he was attempting to push him away. This motion made a dark blue soul appear on Anarchy's chest, and gravity suddenly yanked The Bastard Son back towards the staircase.

"Sans, wait-!" Gaster attempted to stop him, but it was too late. Sans' attempt at trapping Anarchy with his soul grip proved fruitless however when the albino planted his feet, only actually sliding about a yard back before coming to a complete stop.

"Get talkin', four eyes..!" Anarchy spoke through grinding teeth, slowly lifting one foot as red began to crack through the blue of his soul. He stomped one foot forward, and then another, and another after that. With each footfall, the disgustingly malicious aura of The Anarchist got even stronger. Both Sans' and Gaster's monster souls were sickened, weighed down and weakened by the force of Anarchy's own soul.

Gaster was leaning most of his weight back on the table behind him, and Sans was slouching and swaying back and forth. The two felt horribly ill, sweat pouring out from their bones as they struggled to so much as move under the unbearable pressure of The Anarchist's LOVE. This fatigue made it easy for Anarchy to grab Sans right by the face, his powerful white fingers wrapping over his waning smile.

"S-Sans..!" Gaster managed to cry out, wincing as he reached out feebly with one trembling hand to the monster that Anarchy held several feet off the ground.

"E-erg-!" Sans grunted, nausea and disorientation rocking his body as The Anarchist made direct contact. His body was already weak for a monster's, and under the pressure of a soul as powerful as Anarchy's, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

"Ay doc, wanna hear a cool skeleton fact?!" Anarchy's head snapped back towards Gaster, his smile twisting and curling into a vicious grin.

"Anarchy, please-!" Gaster pleaded, holding his hands up in a desperate gesture for him to relax.

"Your bodies are HOLLOW!" Anarchy's lips folded back with his grin, making it a snarl as well. He disregarded Gaster's pleas, instead giving him more to be afraid for. "It's dark in there! That means my worm can form _right inside you_!"

"If you would just wait for one more day-!" Gaster started to try and reason, but Anarchy cut him right off.

"All Angel's ever done is make me wait! He's not gettin' another second outta me!" Anarchy's grin instantly flipped down into a berserk frown. "Either tell me where he is or the short stack dies!"

"But-!" Gaster's pupils trembled in his sockets, shrunken and mortified. His brain raced, rapidly assessing any and all options he had here, of which there were very few. He could only see any glimmer of light in one option, but he was hardly sure if-!

"YA EVER SEEN SOMEBODY GET PEELED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, DOC?!" Anarchy shouted violently, his wide red eyes vibrating with fury. He shook Sans lightly in his grasp, "IT WORKS ON SKELETONS TOO, DON'T YOU WORRY!"

"MOUNT EBBOT!" Gaster suddenly shouted, his hands clenching into tight fists. He lowered his head, his eyes clamping together to hide the frustrated soul that could be seen in them.

"..." Anarchy went silent. The shadows stopped their deafening hissing, returning to quietly slithering over the brick walls. The expression lightened on The Anarchist's pale face, madness dimming in his now narrowed eyes. His lips uncurled from that grin, and he spoke quietly. "... What?"

"Mount Ebbot!" Gaster repeated, betraying the new quiet air in the basement. There was panic in the eyes that he looked at Anarchy with, along with desperation. "You'll find Angel on Mount Ebbot! But you have to go there _now_ , before you miss him!"

". . ." For three seconds that felt like three years, all was completely silent. Then, Anarchy released Sans, and the short skeleton landed flat on his ass, crumpling to the floor in a diseased mess. "See? Was that so hard?"

"Get going." Gaster told him through grinding teeth, his fingers digging into the table that he was still forced to lean against. "You don't want to miss him."

"I sure hope you're not lying to me about this, doc." As Anarchy turned his body to face the staircase, a small smile curled his lips into something entirely evil. He watched Gaster out of the corner of his eye all the way to the top step, before finally looking upwards to the door that lead to the outside world.

 **"... For your sake."**

Slow footsteps were the only noise then, followed by the creak of the cellar door. Light once more spilled down the staircase, before Anarchy's shadow disappeared, and the door shut behind him.

Silently, Gaster slid down. Gradually he made his way to the floor, where he sat, staring off into space with wide, horrified eyes. Sans lifted his head from the cool of the tile floor, narrowing his weak eyes over at Gaster with what urgency he could muster. "Gaster..?"

"Y-... Yes..?" Gaster slowly turned his eyes to Sans, one hand resting over his chest. His monster soul was still vibrating painfully from the impression of Anarchy's power.

Sans grunted between his gasping breaths as he pushed himself up on to his knees, placing one hand on the side of his head in attempt to steady his mind. His white dot pupils darted over to Gaster, and he managed to utter two powerful words in his weak state.

 **"Call. Chara."**

* * *

"... Here they come." Grillby reached up, using a single finger to push his glasses up closer to his eyes. He stood to Melanie's right, and Muffet to her left. The three members of the kitchen crew were standing in the frame of the large gate that lead into The Gatherer's compound, and fearlessly they stared out at the growing mobs that were pouring from the streets ahead.

It was impressive, the kitchen crew would give them that. It'd only been a few minutes since they'd appeared, and a few more minutes since they would have tripped some kind of alarm with their breaking through Xander's firewalls. Yet already police officers were gathering, and they were certain the full force of Gatherer's military was preparing to deploy.

"Are you ready, Melanie?" Muffet asked, turning her head to look upon the KIND human by her side. Expression focused and green eyes staring ahead, the girl nodded a single time. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, and her right eye flared green. Emerald soul appearing with a brilliant gleam on her chest, she pulled both her hands over her head.

Green light illuminated her hands as she rose them, and her fingers stiffened and trembled with the power that vibrated within them. Then, suddenly, she dropped down to one knee, sending her palms crashing down onto the concrete on which she stood. Quickly thereafter, green lights began igniting in the sky. KIND shield after KIND shield was forming in the sky over the compound, rapid rectangles blotting out the sky and building together like a sheet of LEGO bricks.

Quickly Melanie's shields were building a dome over Gatherer's central compound, locking Predator's pirates in and Gatherer's armies out. After a few more seconds, the emerald walls slammed down in front of the gateway they stood in, and they were officially locked in.

After that, Melanie shifted. She sat down, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. Her eyes closed so she could maintain her focus, and soon after, green light ignited around her as well. A smaller dome of energy formed over her, protecting her from the outside world and whatever may try to disrupt her focus.

"... Well, we're on the clock now." Grillby pointed out, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he turned and looked back out at the warzone him and his friends were now trapped in. He squinted, spotting the elite guards Swap!Alphys and Fell!Undyne sprinting towards the two of them in their clanking armor.

"We both know Predator, ahuhuhu~!" Muffet laughed to herself, turning her body to face the incoming attackers. Her and Grillby's mission was simple: Protect Melanie while she holds up the barrier. Still, with a good distance between them and the approaching enemy, Swap!Muffet took the time to turn her head skyward, looking up at the ship looming above. "She'll make things quick."

* * *

With a monstrous scream GB!Sans smashed his massive skull against the writhing mass of vines just under Horror!Flowey's jaws, shoving the beast backwards across the stone path beneath the two. Flowey's vines slithered and smashed through the rock, dragging through the earth and forcing GB!Sans' momentum to a stop.

As the monster plant cackled, Sans' snarled viciously, not hesitating to open his jaws and send jagged teeth crashing down through Flowey's main body of vines. He shredded through the writhing plant snakes like tissue paper, sending green ooze splattering up the side of his draconic skull. Next, the skeletal beast turned on his clawed heel, digging his talons through the ground and yanking Flowey's entire weight with the quick snap of his head. With the power of his jaws GB!Sans whipped Flowey back through the air, sending his bleeding vines splashing into the fountain the was the center piece of the courtyard.

As Sans stomped back towards Flowey, the gross vegetation creature began absorbing the water of the fountain through its rooty body. This made the blood stop flowing from its vines, the green of which was quickly resealing. Meanwhile, the creature's vertical jaws shut, and its disgusting eye was revealed. This eye then began to glow. Flowey's vines vibrated, and the water that surrounded the swamp monster trembled and splashed as burning white energy began growing around its massive eye.

GB!Sans was far from afraid of this revelation however, seeming more pissed off than anything. He planted his feet with two ground shaking stomps, and as blue fire overflowed from his two slit pupils, he opened his jaws wide. A light from his own blast grew rapidly in the back rows of his jagged teeth, quickly getting brighter and brighter. As the familiar sound of a Gaster Blaster charging filled the air, searing ivory blared from Sans' maw. Then, with a powerful crash, he and Flowey fired their lasers at once.

Boiling plasma met boiling plasma as the two massive beams struck one another at the halfway point between the monsters. The collision sent dust blasting out around the two, the world around them tinted white and flashing violently. Electricity crackled, jumped across the ground at the monsters feet. Then, suddenly, a pulse of energy vibrated from the collision point of their blasts. Some chemical reaction caused the collision point to expand, rapidly forming an orb of unstable light, before igniting in a violent explosion that sent dust blasting out around the two, obscuring them both from sight.

This wave of force sent wind exploding up through the courtyard, and Susie instinctively turned her head to spot the flash. The gusts it produced pushed back her hair, revealing a scar on her brow for a moment or two before the winds passed, and her hair drooped back over her eyes. Turning her head forward, she was forced to forget her worry for Sans as she spotted several orbs of glowing white magic being blasted at her from Mad Mew Mew's scepter.

At the last second, Kris slide in between Susie and the blasts, lifting their shield and letting Mad Mew Mew's attacks burst futily against it's metal. Then, they threw their shield baring arm out to the side and raced forward, rapidly closing the distance between themself and the grinning doll before them.

Snarling viciously, a savage red glare ignited in Kris's right eye just as they lunged out towards the foe. With a swift slash of their blade, they were suddenly landing behind Mad Mew Mew on one knee. With their slash, Mew Mew's head was separated from her shoulders, spiraling up on an arch and dropping right back towards the earth.

But, before the head could get too close to the dirt, a hand reached out, snagging it by the poofy pig tails. Mew Mew's severed head cackled madly, suspended in air by her own hand's grip. She flipped her head around to face Kris.

"Idiot. Idiot! IDIOT!" She insulted between her malevolent laughter, expression twisted with rage. "You can't kill a doll! Now who's the DUMMY?!"

Then, Mew Mew threw her head into the air, her body spinning around a downward ax swing from Susie. Susie's blade crashed through the stone at her feet as Mad Mew Mew danced around her, reaching up and catching her own head as it descended. Jumping back from another savage slash of Susie's ax, she planted her head right back down on her shoulders.

Meanwhile, ten or so yards away, Eden planted her feet. Mumbling arcane gibberish, she held her notebook open in one hand. It's pages flipped rapidly as an updraft lifted her hair, before an arch of purple fireballs formed over her head. The violet wisps launched across the way to Ralsei, who was quick to clap his hands together. As he did, golden light shinned from the cracks between his fingers. Next, he pulled his hands apart, and that golden lighten expanded between his palms and took shape.

The shine of Ralsei's magic formed a star, big enough to block the oncoming ghostly flames. Eden's attacks broke down to embers against this golden shield the fluffy boy had crafted, before he shoved his hands out towards her. With a wave of force kicking up dust at his feet, Ralsei sent that same star bursting forward towards Eden.

Eden's frown deepened as the light of Ralsei's star power fired at her, but her lips never stopped moving. Swiftly, purple tendrils launched out from her notebook, whipping around all five of that star's points and immediately yanking upwards, changing its course and throwing the attack skyward.

Eden lifted her eyes some to watch the attack ascend, and her eyebrows rose with surprise. In the heat of battle, she hadn't even noticed. A massive dome of emerald energy had formed over her head, blocking out the night sky and illuminating everything in a greenish hue. That star raced upwards, before shattering to glimmering magic shards against the power of Melanie's barrier.

"Well, would you look at that?" Small smirk gracing his features, Ralsei straightened his pointed hat. Eden shot him a brutal glare, but he wasn't afraid to keep speaking.

"Phase 2 is in effect."

* * *

Watching Gatherer ascend towards the hanger she stood in, Predator grinned like a madwoman. She flipped her scythe's point to face upwards, and then she swung for the upper arch of the hanger's door. Her blade's point jammed into the metal, and she swung herself right up, flipping up onto the roof of her ship.

Once there, she jumped back on the smooth, flat metal surface just as Gatherer blasted his way up to the ship's top after her. He landed there, slightly crouched before straightening his back and standing to his full height. With a small sigh, Xander reached up, running his hands over his semi-messy hair and flattening it back down with his still glowing hands. After that, he opened the corner of his mouth, letting smoke from the cigarette in his mouth's opposite corner stream out of his lungs. "... You're really messing up my evening plans, you know."

"You fucked up my whole weekend plans. Not to mention my house." Lexi narrowed her eyes, tapping the butt of her scythe on the metal on which she stood. "In other words, eat my dick."

"You're not my type." Gatherer answered simply, reaching up with one hand and taking the cigarette butt from his lips. He dropped it, let the wind catch its still smoldering form and carry it over the edge of the platform on which the two levitated over the city. In the same motion, he reached his other hand into his pocket, retrieving his lighter and pulling it free. He casually flicked it out to his side, and fire blasted out from its ignition point, straightening into a short sword of searing flame.

"This is a bold move, Lexi. Even for you." With an elegant shift in his stance, Gatherer put himself into a fencing stance, one arm pointing his blade out to Lexi while the other was folded behind his back. "No amount of property damage could outweigh the gain of finally ridding myself of a nuisance of your caliber."

"Well ya pussed out earlier when I showed my face." Crooked grin on her face, Lexi lowered her stance. Ice formed along the steel of her scythe's blade, as well as her hands, both of which were wrapped around the weapon's long handle. "You sure you're ready to face me head on?"

"You had the home field advantage last time." Gatherer's violet eyes narrowed with lethal precision, those snakes he wore on his flesh slithering quietly over his arms with growing anticipation. "Now you are on _my_ field."

"... Un huh." Lexi lifted her eyes to the sky, nodding up towards it to indicate that he should look skyward as well. "Dunno about that one, chief."

"Hm?" Gatherer arched a brow, lifting his eyes to the sky over his head. He frowned some when he spotted the green dome that was forming over his personal compound, locking him and his adversaries inside. "... Mm. Well, that _is_ upsetting."

"Feel free to start cryin' anytime between now and when I'm through whippin' your ass." The Predator smirked with the utmost confidence, carnivorous blue eyes laying on Xander with all their icy chill.

"... It's no matter." Xander decided, shutting his eyes momentarily and taking a calming, deep breath. "You see, Lexi dear, there has been a misunderstanding."

"It is not me who is trapped in here with you." Slowly Xander opened his eyes, revealing DETERMINED red flames that smoldered in his left iris. His jaws clenched tight together, and he bared his fangs with never before seen ferocity. From the corners of his mouth, embers sparked, flames licking out and up his cheeks. "On the contrary."

 **"You're trapped in here with _me_." **

* * *

"Ha!"

With a swift woosh, Chara's DETERMINED blade slashed a wave of red that fired over the grass. It was low to the ground, slicing through the two-foot tall weeds and carrying them over the mountain side with the wave of force.

" _'Just buy a lawnmower.'_ " Chara repeated Asriel's words with a mocking tone, before laughing triumphantly to themself. "Yeah, sure thing Azzy, right after I buy an ax for those trees."

In the months they had lived there, Chara had dedicated most of their time to cleaning up the Ruins and making the less safe areas of the Underground a little more safe. Disabling traps, removing spikes, reinforcing bridges. Whatever they could do to keep themself productive. But, the area leading _in_ to the mountain was still plenty treacherous. Sure, they had some warnings up around the massive hole that dropped right down into the Ruins, but there was still plenty tall grass or vines or misplaced stones to trip over.

Emphasis on _was_. In the week since getting their new level of power, Chara had been taking plenty advantage of the more practical uses these abilities brought. Now, the entryway to the Ruins was nice and clear. Grass was well trimmed, stones had been pilled over by a rock wall leading to a higher peak. The massive trees that loomed over the hole and shielded it from being seen until one was mere feet from it were nothing more than stumps now, chopped down with the same ease as the grass. Their wood had been perfectly split and neatly stacked.

Chara figured Winter was on its way topside; it was already almost October. Maybe they could sell all the wood they'd cleared and make something for their efforts. Money was the least of their concerns, considering they lived in a mountain cavern for free. But, still, it wouldn't hurt to have some change in their pocket.

Landscaping had honestly become a bit of a hobby of theirs. It was something easy to do, and it kept their mind off of things. They had a tendency to overthink if they were doing nothing for too long, and they liked the peace and quiet that came with outdoor work. They still weren't sure what they were gonna do with the stupid crater at the other entrance into the Underground, higher up on the mountain. Cter had created the thing with the Beat Dome he put them in six months ago, and nature had hardly repaired itself. Some grass had started to sprout in the hole, mostly that stuff that survives anywhere. Dandelions and other weeds. But outside of that, it was a pit of scorched earth.

Maybe they'd use the money from selling that lumber to get some kinda lining and fill the stupid thing with water. Just turn it into some big in-ground pool. That'd be a pretty good use for a hole that was almost their grave. Then again, that meant they would have to both purchase and wear a bathing suit, and that idea didn't exactly appeal to them. What would they even wear? Probably just trunks and a shirt. Certainly not a white shirt. But even then, water makes clothing, stick to things, and-

Yikes. So maybe a pool wasn't the best idea. Too many opportunities for uncomfortable situations and embarrassment. Not to mention that Cter would probably want to be in the thing all the time, and he's the last person they would want to see them in a situation like that.

Chara shook their head quickly, dismissing all their brain's attempts at imagining that scenario and cutting their embarrassment off at its source. They had started working outside to take their mind _off_ Angel, not try to imagine how he would react to... Ahem, nevermind that.

This is how it had been all day. Somehow, every thought found it's way back to that emerald eyed friend of theirs. Chara wondered if they were really that worried about him out there, that their concern made it impossible to forget him for more than a few minutes at a time. He had been so vulnerable last night. So scared, so upset. But he trusted them, and that made them feel special. He said he'd never told anyone all that he had told them, and they couldn't stop wondering why he had picked them of all people.

 _"I THINK YOU'RE AMAZING!"_

Did he really think that highly of them? Is that why he trusted them with everything he had been hiding? Is that why he..?

Their eyes drifted down to their open hand. They remembered how his hand had felt in theirs. Despite its bony structure, his skin was surprisingly warm. Soft, even.

 _"I need you here."_ He had told Chara. Said that they were stronger than he was, and that he wanted them to look over things while he was away. They thought that was ironic, that he was trusting the timeline with the very same person he once gave his life to save it from. It meant a lot to them that he had said that. For him to trust them with something this important, it really showed that he didn't think they were the same person they had been back then.

... But, they also couldn't help but wonder if he had ulterior motives. The way Cter talked about Anarchy, he described him like he was invincible. He painted him like he was a mountain of a man, immovable and unstoppable and certain in all that he did. To Angel, Anarchy must have been the most dangerous man alive. So, Chara couldn't help but wonder...

Did he ask them to stay back, because he was worried? Was he... Afraid they would get hurt-?

"EUGH!" Chara suddenly shouted, reaching up and slapping a hand on each side of their face, like they were scolding themself for _still_ thinking about this. Honestly, how many trains of thought were they gonna have to derail before their brain got the message? They _didn't_ want to think about this! It was embarrassing, and confusing in ways they didn't understand at all! They hated it!

... Well, kind of hated it. It was annoying, but exciting, but scary, but fun, but insecure, but reassuring, but-! Eugh! One big stupid contradiction!

Groaning with exasperation, Chara wandered to the mountain's edge. They looked down, watching over the city below. The sun was getting low, not quite setting yet, but probably only an hour or so from starting to sink in the horizon.

Quietly Chara exhaled, letting their expression soften into something less frustrated. What could he be doing out there? They had no idea where he was, or what was happening. And while they appreciated everything he was trusting them with, really, they just... Wished they were there with him. Their eyes lowered, a sad little frown on their face while they muttered under their breath, "... I hope he's okay..."

 _Vrrrt... Vrrrt... Vrrrt..._

 _Nui Harime Theme_ from _Kill La Kill_ began playing.

"Hm?" Chara turned their head, shaken from their invasive thoughts by the sound of their cell phone's vibrations. They spotted it right where they had left it, upon the clean cut stomp where they had taken their lunch break. Disgusting little black maggots wriggled on the surface of the screen, three or four of them. This made Chara furrow their brows with some displeasure added to their confusion, before they leaned down and scooped up their phone, getting a look at the caller I.D.

"Gaster..? He never calls me." Chara pondered this mystery aloud as they brushed those gross larvae carelessly from the ringing screen, before their ruby eyes snapped open wide. "Thirty seven missed calls?!"

They answered the phone so urgently that they hardly noticed the way the shadows were shifting. Black maggots seeped slowly from the stump by their side, creeping up mindlessly from any cracks in the wood. "Gaster?"

"Chara! Finally!"

"Yeah, it's me." Chara answered with concern and confusion clear on their face. They rested one hand on their hip as they shifted with unease, eyes narrowing down at the filthy little bugs creeping and crawling out from the stump. They were certain that infestation hadn't been there when they were seated there earlier. "What's going on? Why did you blow up my phone-?"

"Chara, listen to me! There's no time!"

"Cut to the chase, Gaster. You're kind of freaking me out." Anxiety entering their eyes, Chara began turning their head. They scanned their surroundings, staring longer and harder into any shadows than they had been a moment ago. Suddenly, it felt like they were being watched. They thought for sure something was moving in those dark corners, something they couldn't quite make out.

"Listen closely! You have to prepare! Someone very dangerous is-"

 _Crunch... Crunch... Crunch..._

It was at this point that Chara tuned out from Gaster's rambling, turning slowly to face the path directly behind them, across the clearing they had made. The path was shrouded by the shadow of the trees at this time of day. Large, leafy wooden structures lined the gravel walkway perfectly on either side. The dark was thicker than they had ever seen it before, and their eyes were having trouble cutting through it.

For some reason, Chara could hear their pulse in their ears. Adrenaline was starting to release into their bloodstream, but they didn't understand. Somewhere in their most basic instincts, their body was screaming at them to either get ready for a fight or run as fast as possible in the other direction. These things were not foreign, they had felt them plenty of times in the many battles they had been apart of. But never this soon. Never before even _seeing_ their opponent.

Then, suddenly, beady red eyes appeared in the blackness. They were wide, and they never blinked. Their appearance was so sudden that it made Chara flinched some, their head drawing back and their teeth clenching together. Instinctively, they opened the palm of their clammy hand, and one of their knives reappeared in their grasp.

Finally, the darkness shifted, blackness slithering away from a head of snow white hair. It fell in a messy heap now around a pale face. His head was the first thing to emerge from the shadows, but the rest of his body soon followed. For a moment, Chara was paralyzed. Baffled by who they were seeing and the presence they were feeling.

As those unblinking, predatory eyes laid upon them. As they saw his pearly white grin with a mouthful of jagged teeth, perfect for shredding flesh. As the light reflected from his alabaster skin, as though his body would accept only darkness. It became clear to Chara just who or _what_ they were staring at, and they noted that Cter's description had not been the least bit exaggerated.

"Chara? Are you listening to me?! Chara!"

"... I'm, gonna have to call you back." Chara finally spoke as Gaster managed to get their attention again, but only for a moment. Their eyes never left Anarchy, their head never turned in any other direction. He was like some bug, stinger pulled back and ready. They felt the moment their guard dropped, the moment they looked away, he would strike.

"What?! No! Chara-!"

*Click...

Chara lowered their phone slowly, before letting it disappear into their inventory. They stared at Anarchy as he stared at them, the two never breaking eye contact. Chara held on to their nerve however, planting their feet and keeping their knife held out to their side on clear display. It was a threat, a warning for Anarchy to walk closer at his own risk.

The mountain was growing louder. Birds were chirping alarms, their shadows racing across the ground as flock after flock fled the trees. Trees that groaned and swayed in a sudden, whipping wind. A wind that screamed as well, as though nature itself was in a state of unease. The volume rose higher and higher, the cries of the animals and the creaks and groans of the trees reaching deafening highs.

And then, Anarchy lifted his foot. He rose it, and brought it down, taking a single step closer. That made the panicked nature gather its wits, animals plants and air currents alike all falling deathly silent in an instant.

Chara took a slow, deep breath in this new and sudden quiet. Then, finally, they opened their mouth, and they spoke clearly and loudly enough that Anarchy would hear them without a doubt. "Greetings."

Anarchy smiled at that, tilting his head to the side in a friendly way. Unfortunately, the gleam in his eyes and the points of his fangs were the furthest thing from welcoming. "Hello,"

He let his jaw hang open then, his long tongue hanging out over his bottom row of teeth as he breathed out the second word of his sentence slowly, like some kind of toxic gas.

 _ **"Friend."**_

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	44. Chapter 44: The Devil Was An Angel Too

**Howdy! Sorry about being a week late, but this is a very long chapter and needed a little extra time! It's almost 21,000 words, which is just 1,000 words short of the longest chapter in this story, Chapter 25: The Bastard Son (Part 2). So I hope you guys aren't too miffed about me being late, and this big bunch'a content makes up for it. Next chapter should be up two weeks from today, like usual.**

 **Anyway, enjoy the chapter! I hope you're all kind enough to review and tell me your thoughts/feelings!**

 **Thanks go to Andyfire123, 10burgers, Wingah, Zack Frost, Fixer140.85, Genowar, acoolnamme, Tbone8454, Jack54311, Skele, and NBoss01.**

 **I would also like to apologize to Doctah Sawbones, who's name I mistyped during last chapters thanks. I hope you can forgive my transgressions.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale. (Or any of the other non-DoubleTale AU characters running around.)**

* * *

"Hello, _**Friend."**_

"I don't make friends with creepy strangers in the woods." Chara squinted those precise red eyes of theirs as they corrected Anarchy, but this hardly upset him. On the contrary, his grin dug deeper into his cheeks. "This is a private residence. Get out of here."

"That a threat, tough guy?" Anarchy tilted his head to the side with his question, but a moment later his brows furrowed with some confusion. "Er, gal? Hey, what are you, exactly?"

"Pissed off." Chara answered with ease, frown creasing their face. Their answer made Anarchy chuckle, baring those pearly white fangs with his amused smile as he re-centered his head on his shoulders.

"Well, androgynous stranger, I'd love to get outta your hair, but I've got a few questions for ya first." Anarchy's eyes narrowed then, his joyous smile suddenly curving in a way that was sinister in every sense. "You wouldn't happen to know anybody named Angel, _would'ja_?"

Chara's expression twitched, their brows drawing closer together while their jaw clenched. The corner of their mouth curled into a small scowl, and they could feel cold sweat forming on their brow. No doubt about it now, this was the guy. "... No, never heard of him."

"Really?" Anarchy yanked up on eyebrow. His evil smile faded, his expression turning into something curious, yet patient. "Hmm... Question two: Have you seen him around?"

"Green eyes, about yay tall." Anarchy held his hand up to be level with his own head, indicating that him and Angel were about the same height. "Always looks like he's half dead with these sunken in eyes and real bony hands. Kinda pale. Not _me_ pale, obviously, but hard to imagine with a tan, y'know?"

"..." Chara swallowed quietly, though their mouth was growing dry. They felt like they were playing Poker with Death, and that lives depended on this bluff. "Not ringing any bells, no."

"Bells, huh?" Anarchy narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, and his lips curled only slightly. Chara scolded themself internally, remembering Cter's bell from his early childhood. Had something as simple as that phrase given them away? But then, Anarchy shut his eyes, stuffed his hands in his pockets. He slouched some, breathed an exasperated sigh, and spoke. "... Alright, then. Third and final question."

Suddenly, Anarchy's eyes snapped open wide. They were a void, lacking in both humanity and his madness. They were purely evil, entirely dark. And those eyes forced all the darkness they had seen onto Chara, sending out a pulse of vantablack from the soles of his feet. It raced across the earth, erasing all that there was and condemning the two of them to an endless sea of shadow.

 _ **"Have you been lying to me?"**_

Chara's eye twitched lightly and their jaw clenched tight. They suppressed a shiver as they looked out at the ivory ghoul, standing right across from them at the bottom of a vantablack ocean. It was cold. When they exhaled, it formed a white mist that drifted up over their face. It was lonely there in the dark, lonely and terrifying. Staring into those eyes, they felt paralysis setting in on their body. It was like they'd been stung, struck by a venom.

But then, the red light of their soul flared, and they dug their nails into their palms. Forcing their body to move, they lifted one shaky foot, grunting with exertion. As the dark began to lighten from the red glimmer of their soul, they brought their foot crashing to the onyx floor. _It's..! Not! Real!_

A crack exploded through the floor under their foot, racing across the ground all the way to Anarchy's shoe. From that crack, grass sprouted, before more fissures began spreading through the dark. Rapidly the void fractured, the real world shining through each and every rupture. And then, with a deafening shatter, The Dark shattered completely, and Chara and Anarchy returned to reality.

"..." Anarchy's eyebrows rose slowly, watching Chara narrow their eyes fearlessly at him. Their hands clenched into tight fists, and their DETERMINED soul burned on their chest. "... Mm. So you aren't afraid of The Dark."

"I know who you are, Anarchy." Chara finally spoke up, their voice ringing clear and confident. Their nerve was steel now. "And your spooky parlor trick doesn't scare me."

"Aww... So Angel _does_ talk about me!" Anarchy's lips curled upwards into that sinister smile, his eyes narrowing with a murderous gleam. His voice, cheery just a second ago, once more lowered into that deeper, quieter tone. "... But, you know, I know who _you are_ , too."

"..." Chara squinted skeptically, knuckles whitening around the handle of their blade. They couldn't deny that something about that sentence disturbed them. The thought that those beady, hungry eyes had laid on them before, and they had never known... "You do?"

"Of course! You're Angel's new buddy!" Anarchy exclaimed joyfully, throwing his hands up into the air. His voice hiked right back up to a cheery tune. "You and Frisk and the goat and even the _fuckin'_ lizard are all his brand new friends in his perfect little world!"

"Oh yeah, I've been payin' real close attention to all'a you while you were all perfectly happy pretending I DIDN'T EXIST!" With those words, Anarchy's hands clenched into fists from their place happily raised over his head. His smile instantly changing to a vicious snarl, he threw his hands down with a burst of energy, and invisible force smashed the ground at his feet, causing a vicious updraft that blasted wind out around him and a dent to form in the earth at either side of him.

Chara flinched some at this, leaning back some as the wind whipped by, pulling at their bangs briefly. They remained silent as they watched Anarchy's mood swing back and forth like a windsock in a tornado, those furious eyes never releasing them from their pressure.

"I've been bustin' my ass every day for six months, all for today!" Anarchy threw his left arm out to his side, and his crowbar slipped with ease from his sleeve and into his grasp. With his Inheritance gripped tightly in his ivory fingers, he swung his arm haphazardly, pointing the cruel, crusty metal out at Chara. "And I'm not gonna let his fuckin' sidekick get in my way!"

Chara's eye twitched at that particular remark, but they stood their ground. Fear never entering their expression, they scanned the metal of that crowbar The Anarchist aimed at them. It matched what Cter had described; an evil, disgusting tool. It was stained with blood and dust alike, coated in sin.

"So here's what's gonna happen!" Anarchy exclaimed, those maniac eyes wide in his skull and that ballistic snarl encompassing the majority of his features. "You're gonna tell me where Angel is and get THE FUCK out of my way, OR I'M GONNA RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!"

"... Sorry 'friend', not happening." A little smirk curled Chara's expression as their second blade appeared in their free hand. They held their blades out to their sides, and with a flash of crimson, the light of their DETERMINATION blasted up the steel of their weapons, turning kitchen knives into swords. "Besides, I've had limbs taken off before. Never really stuck."

"..." Anarchy remained silent, his expression shrinking into something colder. A frown was carved into his cheeks now, his soulless eyes only half open. Slowly, he lowered his crowbar wielding arm, leaning his head back. "You got guts, sidekick."

The shadows behind Anarchy shifted and swirled, before two grotesque heads slipped with quiet giggles from the black. They were worms made of obsidian, gnashing blood crusted teeth and letting their nasty tongues flick out into the air, like they were trying to catch Chara's scent. It made sense, they had no eyes. Chara guessed one didn't need to see when one lives in the dark.

 **"Too bad I gotta rip 'em outta ya."**

 **Chapter 44: The Devil Was An Angel Too**

 _"You lay awake at night in fear of the day you cross paths with me again."_

* * *

 _Why the fuck am I here?_

"Hah!" I shouted out as I lunged at Cliff, yanking back the spike of ink that had formed around my fist and throwing it in a cruel attempt to gouge open his face. It didn't work though; his bulky arm moved fast and his iron grip clamped around my wrist. He yanked my hand to the side, and clumsily I let him toss me right off balance.

 _I just wanted to clean up my goddamn mess._

*Seems that's all you ever want to do.

My stress cracked brain perceived Cliff's fist differently than it was when he sent a punch crashing into my wide open jaw. There was no glove my eyes told me, his knuckles were pale white. Blood splattered over the floor from the lip Cliff split with his Killer left hook, and he let go of my wrist, letting me stumble away like some drunk moron.

*Poor little Angel. Always tipping trashcans and then getting dumpster water on his hands when he has to pick up the garbage.

 _Dumpster water…_ I repeated in my head as I wiped the red river from my chin, dazed eyes examining my own blood. Red mist thoughtlessly wafted up from the shattered skin, resealing it as I lifted my eyes back to Clifford. His footsteps were dull and muffled in my ears, and I lifted my head just in time for him to pop me in the nose. Nasal passages were crushed, nostrils hacking scarlet down my lips and over my cheeks and chin.

*That garbage juice stinks like piss and stains like shit. You'd know, its been collecting on your hands for years now.

I know that getting my nose broken hurt, but I didn't really feel the pain. I recoiled like I did; stumbled back and blinked my now aching eyes. While I attempted to get a look at Cliff - who was (surprise surprise) closing the distance between me n' him again - I thought I saw something flicker over his shoulder. It was tall, maybe humanoid. Pale colors.

Cliff was shouting some shit, but I didn't hear it. He clasped his fists together and swung them up like a hammer, and WHAM my jaws crunched together with his brutal uppercut. The force was so intense it tossed me into the air, sent me sailing until I smashed back first into some jagged bullshit. Chunks of stone and broken wood and other rubble Predator had knocked loose with her home-wrecker attack.

*C'mon, pussy. Throw a punch.

My emerald eyes snapped open wide to the black skies overhead. They were cloudy, smoke swirling up to join them in blotting out the moon and the stars. It was all tinted green through the lens of Melanie's barrier, which stopped that smoke from reaching the sky. With sudden urgency I slapped my palm down onto the uneven ground I was laid up on, and computer keys rapidly built up around me, forming walls that kept Cliff out and me in.

*Well, you got your hands up. It's a start.

 _C'mon Angel, fuckin' focus!_ I scolded myself as I sat up, shaking my head in an attempt to loosen up the cobwebs. I reached up, snapped my nose back into place without hesitation. I didn't like that I didn't have to think about doing it, and I didn't like that I hardly minded the pain. DETERMINATION was smoking off my face, healing my wounds in seconds and distancing me further from my humanity. _Damn it, I said focus, drama queen!_

 _We don't have time to reflect!_ I informed myself as Cliff's crackling fist smashed through the key wall that separated us. He reached for me, flailing his meaty fingers at me. I stayed just out of reach, crawling backwards on my hands to ensure I was out of range. _I have to win this fight! This shouldn't be hard - I know I'm twice as strong as this guy!_

I lifted my hands over my head, before shoving them out towards the wall Cliff was tryin' to grab me through. The keys moved with my will, launching forward and smashing against Cliff's body. He threw up his arms to block the plastic projectiles, and as they shattered against his crackling aura, I questioned the combat effectiveness of thin plastic.

Cliff lowered his stance after the keys died down, pushing off of one foot and launching himself forward at me. I lowered my stance, red flaring in my left eye as I planted my feet. Cliff sent a right hook rocketing towards my face as he propelled himself towards me, and I ducked beneath it, crouching down before popping back up and slamming both my palms into his abdomen.

With a guttural grunt I straightened my back and then my elbows, lifting that mountain of a man straight over my head. This made Cliff's eyes go wide, and he flailed his muscular limbs wildly in an attempt to knock himself off the balance of my hands. Unfortunately for him it didn't work out, and I strained my arms back, before whipping him overhand towards the ledge of the plateau that we battled on. "YEET!"

Cliff's body sailed towards the however-many-foot drop, but unfortunately the brute proved highly skilled. He shifted his weight in air, managing to position himself to grab the ledge. His fingers cracked the stone they hooked into, but never lost their grip. Then, his momentum stopped, Cliff grunted with exertion and yanked himself right up with so much force it was basically a jump. He propelled himself upwards, where he performed a front flip, landing back on his feet and on steady ground.

"... I _said_ yeet." I squinted irritably, my wings spreading wide behind me. Over each of my shoulders, a Beat Blaster appeared.

Cliff knocked the knuckles of his gloves together, and orange lightning crackled between his fists. With disdain in his eyes he spoke,

"I don't take orders from you."

* * *

Footsteps echoed down the darkened hallways of The Gatherer's third building, his strategy hall. The only light was the cyan glow of Disbelief!Papyrus's bone club, which he held out in front of him like a torch. Due to his less than confrontational nature but more than respectable battle capabilities, he was sent on a solo mission to gather intel on The Gatherer's plans and assets.

He reached a set of twin oak doors, and his sockets narrowed with anticipation. This was the doorway to the central debate hall it seemed, the final door at the center of this building. After a moments thought, Papyrus tightened his grip on his staff, before pulling up one leg.

With a swift kick he forced the two heavy doors to swing open, a loud thud echoing through the previously silent building. The room was revealed to be long, its center piece one lengthy table surrounded by many chairs. Along its walls were book shelves and filing cabinets, and over the table papers were neatly stacked and writing utensils were gathered in small bins. Each bin was set an equal distance from the next, pens and pencils equally distributed.

"Heya, bro." At the end of this mahogany table, slipper covered feet were propped up. Skeletal hands folded behind his head - which was hidden inside his raggedy blue hood - a Sans leaned carelessly back in the lead chair. Under his hood, he winked one red outlined blue eye shut, and the light of green barriers and orange flames outside illuminated his plastic grin through the many windows that lined the walls. "Door wasn't locked, y'know."

"Sans?" Papyrus furrowed his brow bones, taking a skeptical step closer to the hooded skeleton that leaned fearlessly across the room. "What are you doing in here?"

"Noticed you n' your buds were makin' a ruckus outside. You know me, I'm a real lazy bones." Sans leaned forward then, removing his feet from the table and letting his chair fall back onto all four of its legs. He landed on his elbows against the table, leaning his head some. This made shadows slip over his concealed face, consuming all but those madness splattered eyes. "Thought I'd get some peace and quiet in here, but then you came and found me. How 'bout that?"

"... Brother, you need to leave." Papyrus gave a clear warning, lowering his own head some and glaring at this Sans. Papyrus was no fool, he had been around the multiverse equivalent of the block more than a few times. He knew not every Sans was to be trusted, and as much as it pained him, not all Sanses were as benevolent as the brother he had lost. "Please do not make this difficult."

"Whoa, easy bro." Sans lifted his bony hands lazily, leaning his head back some and letting the little light in the room land upon his plastic grin. "No need to get so, heheh... Rattled."

"Ngh... Yeah, I know okay, I know..!" Sans spoke to himself before Papyrus had the chance, and the taller of the two brothers furrowed his brows with some confusion. He watched as Sans growled to himself, placing a hand on the side of his head while a purple flame flickered in his left eye.

"Sans..?" Papyrus took a few skeptical steps closer, lifting one gloved hand like he was considering reaching out to him. But then Sans smashed his fist down against the wood of the table, and Papyrus took a quick step back. It was a good thing he did, as jagged bones shot savagely up through the wood of the floor just inches from where he'd been standing.

"Listen Papyrus, I was lyin' before." Sans lifted his head then, letting the flickering lights of his eyes land on this brother of his. With the hand that had been on the side of his head, he took hold of his hood, pulling it from his head and letting it fall back on his shoulders. "I'm actually on the clock right now."

"Really, I should be out there skewerin' pirates. I just thought it'd be a little easier to sit back and protect important information." Sans grunted as he stood in his seat, before hopping up onto the table. "I know you're a busy guy, so I'll keep this simple."

"I'm on The Gatherer's payroll. There's a bounty on my head, n' by workin' with him I've got a guarantee that I won't have to face hunters like your boss all by my lonesome." Sans' lifeless eyes remained locked on Papyrus while he walked slowly down the length of the table. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, clicking his fingers together. "Since you n' me are family, I'm givin' you one chance."

"Turn around right now. Walk outta here and pick a fight with somebody else." Narrowing his sockets, Sans lowered his head some, blue and red flickering in the dark. "I've killed Papyruses before. I ain't got a problem with doin' it again."

"... DustTale, right?" Papyrus narrowed his sockets, holding his bone staff out to the side. It flashed between orange and cyan threateningly as Papyrus stood tall. "That's where you came from, isn't it?"

"Oh, you know my story?" Dust!Sans widened his grin some, tilting his head to the left. "And whaddabout you?"

"... Disbelief." Papyrus's grip tightened on his weapon as his mind glossed briefly over his memories. He thought, as he often did, of the treacherous road that had brought him here. Of the people he had lost, the battles he had fought. But then, he steadied himself, and pointed his bone out towards his brother.

"Ooh. That's rough, buddy." Dust!Sans told Disbelief, but judging from his grin and the wink of his eye, he hardly cared. He kept walking, kicking over a stack of papers with one of his strides. He didn't bat an eye as the parchments scattered across the table, though, his cannibalistic orbs never leaving his brother. "Guess that makes you n' me kinda alike, doesn't it? Bad end bros."

"... Sans. Who you were is long gone. Who you were would not want this." Papyrus frowned, his own sockets never leaving those of the murderer before him. He slowly lifted his free hand, clenching it into a fist threateningly. "As your brother, it is my duty to put a stop to you."

Then, Disbelief!Papyrus clenched his fist tightly, and the floor behind him cracked and shattered, bones jutting up through the broken floor boards. In Papyrus's right eye a BRAVE orange flame ignited, crackling to life and twisting up into the air beside his head.

"By any means necessary!"

* * *

Horror!Flowey was thrown back again and again as GB!Sans slashed it from side to side with his monstrous claws. Green blood splattered over the stone floor time and time again as GB!Sans forced his fellow beast towards the cinder block wall of the Science and Research building.

Once there, Horror!Flowey opened its maw in a terrible scream, its jaws lurching forward to crash down around Sans. The draconic skeleton was quick however, instead reaching out with those bony claws and catching those jaws before they clamped shut on him. Sans grunted and growled as he struggled with all his might to keep those teeth from crashing down around him.

Flowey laughed hysterically as Sans was forced to slide back a few inches, the plant creature looming over him. GB!Sans ground his fangs together, bones shaking with exertion as Flowey's weight threatened to overpower him. But then, he opened his maw, and blue flames licked out from the nostrils of his snout as white light began burning in the back of his jaws.

This made Flowey desperate to close its maw, but GB!Sans held them open with all his might while he charged his laser, preparing to fire it point blank right down Flowey's throat. But, as that light crept quickly over each row of Sans' teeth, Flowey thought quickly, and his vines wrapped around the monster's ankles.

Flowey yanked Sans' weight out from under him, letting the beast drop suddenly onto his side. This made GB!Sans grunt and growl with instant pain, wincing his eyes shut as his maw clamped down on that light, making it disappear from between his fangs. Flowey spun once its enemy was on the ground, dragging him into the air before releasing him and whipping him across the courtyard.

Sans' large body sailed through the air before crashing right through the fountain's stone spout, sending water spraying all over him and the ground that he crashed to. He slid a few more feet across the unforgiving rocks, before hooking his claws into the ground and forcing his prone body to a stop.

He opened his eyes and glared to Flowey with slitted pupils. Huffing sapphire fires from his snout menacingly, he climbed gradually to his talons. Once he stood tall again, he stomped one foot down and threw his claws out to the side. His jaw unhinged, and he let out a freakish screech to the vegetation beast that was slithering closer.

Sans lurched forward, hooking his foreclaws into the ground and racing forward on four legs to meet Horror!Flowey. The flower beast sunk several of the vines it slithered across the ground on into the torn up stone of the courtyard, and a moment later a massive spike made from intertwined, thorny roots blasted out from the ground in front of Flowey.

The twisting and writhing skewer fired forward to impale GB!Sans, but the skeletal abomination shifted at the last second, lifting his arm and letting the vine shoot by under him. Then, he snapped forward and sunk his jaws into the violent vegetation. His claws were next to drag through the malevolent green as he wrapped his arms around the spines and barbs of the roots, not so much as flinching as thorns dragged across his bones and dug into his body.

With brute force GB!Sans yanked his entire body back, pulling on that vine and ripping Flowey forward. Then, he released the roots and shifted, slamming shoulder and skull first into Flowey and stopping the plant's momentum dead. With Flowey jarred, GB!Sans raced forward, leading with the beast suspended on his shoulder. He crashed into the same wall he'd pinned the tentacle creature up against before with enough force to shatter through the stonework.

Dust falling around the two, Sans smashed Horror!Flowey against the tile, sending cracks splitting through the floor. Vines wrapped around his maw and tried to push his jaws away as they snapped at Flowey, before the plant shifted its weight, shoving GB!Sans off and throwing his body down the hallway they'd landed in.

Sans landed on his four claws, tiles screeching as he dragged back across the floor. With eyes glowing in the dark, he watched Flowey slither and latch onto the ceiling to get itself upright. Then, it turned to face GB!Sans, and its jaws closed, revealing its one massive eye. This eye began to glow, the air around it vibrating with pressure as its vile light illuminated the hall.

Sans bounded forward, tearing up the floor with his claws and racing to meet Flowey before that laser fired. Just as the beam broke free from Flowey's eye, Sans lunged. He skinned the cat, his body just barely reaching over Flowey's blast and then over his head. He slashed down the vines Flowey'd attached to the ceiling along the way. The draconic skeleton landed crouched behind the violent flower, but was quick to spin around. Flowey was halfway through deactivating its laser and turning around to face GB when his enemy blindsided him, bashing his skull into the back of its flower-head.

Flowey stumbled forward, and GB!Sans roared viciously, chomping down around the top of his enemy's massive eye. Flowey screeched in agony at this, green blood overflowing around Sans' fangs and running down the length of its singular peeper. Then, he ripped his head to the side, ragdolling Flowey's head ( and dragging his body with it) with his terrifying jaw strength and whipping it out through the hole the two had opened in the wall, leading their battle back into the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Kris's footsteps splattered through the broken fountain's spilled water as they raced forward to slash at Mad Mew Mew, who raised her scepter, catching steel on steel with a clang. Then, the cat-face bell atop her scepter lit up, and Kris jumped back just as orbs of white hot light fired from the weapon. They lifted their shield again, and as the plasma balls shattered against their defenses, one purple dino jumped right over their head, yanking her Brave Ax up and preparing to slash down.

Mad Mew Mew jumped back out of the range of Susie's slice, but she failed to notice the red light that had been glowing on her ax's blade. And when Susie's ax crashed down to the ground, a red bolt of energy exploded from it, firing quickly towards Mad Mew Mew. The doll had no time to react, her eyes widening as the Rude Buster slammed into her abdomen, flooring her. The wind was knocked from her, the blast carrying her off her feet and back through the air.

Stuffing flew through the air as Mew Mew slammed flat on her back, sliding a few feet across the ground. But then, she reached back, placing her hands on the ground, and flipping herself back and onto one knee. She growled as she held her kitty-staff out to her side, stuffing floating through the air around her and reconnecting to her body. "Futile. Futile! FUTILE!"

"We heard ya the first time!" Susie snarled as she raced across the ground to meet Mad Mew Mew, her footsteps thudding like a charging rhino. Just as Susie slashed horizontally at the doll however, Mew Mew jumped up, front flipping over Susie's head with stunning acrobatic ability. While upside down in the air above her fellow mean girl, she pointed her glowing weapon's peak down at her, and three more orbs of burning energy blasted down.

"Agh!" Susie cried out, arching her spine as all three baseball sized blasts crashed against her back, scorching through the leather of her jacket and burning her flesh. This pain only seemed to piss her off though, and she snarled, spinning around to face Mew Mew, who landed between her and Kris.

The two circled Mew Mew slowly, and the immortal doll kept up her smug smirk, watching the two sharks from the corners of her eyes. Just as Susie and Kris rushed her from her left and right, she jumped straight up, laughing maniacally. Two out of three Fun Gang members skidded to a stop right beneath her as she ascended, and Kris was quick to look to Susie. She nodded, like she'd understood their silent request.

Susie held out the flat side of her Brave Ax, and Kris hopped up onto it, before Susie launched them up after Mad Mew Mew. She was far too busy laughing like an evil, _evil_ villainous villain to notice Kris rapidly ascending towards her. Teeth grinding together, Kris brandished their blade, wrapping both hands tightly around its handle.

They launched up just above Mad Mew Mew, who's eyes went wide as Kris suddenly loomed over her in air, blade lifted high over their head. With a primal roar and a berserk red glimmer in their eye, Kris slashed downward, carving a slash all the way from Mew Mew's scalp to her skirt. Then, after slashing the doll vertically in half, they spun with the momentum, slamming a kick into her two halves and sending them sailing through the air.

Kris dropped down beside Susie, and they watched as stuffing rained down around Mew Mew's separated body. The two halves thudded limply to the ground, a few feet apart. Kris and Susie watched their foe pensively, wondering if such a brutal strike would be enough to bring this possessed dummy down.

"..." Suddenly, the eye on Mew Mew's right half snapped open, and that side of her mouth curled up in half a grin. "Hahaha."

Next, her left side opened its eye, and she formed the other half of her grin, all while stuffing crawled in through the missing chunk of her head. "Hahaha!"

Susie and Kris both grimaced, taking up stances next to one another. They watched this supernatural creature put itself back together, its two halves dragging across the dirt towards one another. Slowly, as Mad Mew Mew floated back up to her feet, her stitching reconnected, and she was whole again.

"HAHAHA!"

* * *

Eden watched stars rain down from the sky above towards her via Ralsei's command, her open hand holding her notebook, which was rapidly flipping through pages of its own accord. Then, suddenly it stopped on one page that shined a bright purple glare onto Eden's glasses, and she began muttering like a madwoman once more.

In an instant, the points raining in star shape from above stopped in their tracks. Their golden shine disappeared, replaced by a dull grey shade. It was as if Eden had frozen the assault in time. She didn't have time for a counterattack though, as she was suddenly forced to duck, Ralsei's Ragger stretching out from the dark prince's neck and slashing over her head.

Dropping to one knee, Eden summoned a single white flower from her inventory in her free hand. She placed it against the ground, and began chanting something different. As Ralsei's Ragger stretched back to wrapping around his neck like a prickly scarf, the little flower exploded with life. Roots twisted from its form, sinking into the ground and rapidly draining nutrients from it before it blasted apart with massive, thorny vines. Vines not unlike Horror!Flowey's body.

This spear of vegetation vengeance fired across the courtyard at Ralsei, who's eyes widened under his wizard hat. He was quick to throw one hand back, and on his finger tips another golden star ignited to life. It grew rapidly as those brutal thorns raced closer to him, before he threw the shield of a star out in front of him, and its five points began to spin rapidly.

He planted two hands on his fan-blade defense, and when the vine collided with his attack, he grunted with exertion. Plant blood and vine chunks flinging out around him, he was forced to skid backwards, his frail body straining to keep from cracking under the pressure of this assault. eventually, the vines could extend no longer, and the magic that fueled them withdrew. The green faded from the roots, returning into the ground while the massive spike shriveled and grew grey.

As soon as the attack slowed to a stop, Ralsei dropped to one knee, panting heavily. His star disappeared, and he rested one fluffy hand on the ground, the other on his raised knee.

"You are a weak wizard." Eden stung harshly, her eyes narrowing with disdain as she pushed her glasses back up her nose. She was pretending the sweat on her brow was not there.

"Yeah, well..." Ralsei slowly pushed himself back to his feet, exhaling slowly in an attempt to calm his breathing. He clenched his fluffy paws into fluffy fists, his eyes narrowing at Eden. "You're a mean witch."

"... Mm." Eden frowned a little deeper at that, pointed vines tearing up from the ground behind her. Their thorns were purple. Ralsei's Ragger uncoiled from around his neck some and stood up straight, slowly waving back and forth like a snake preparing to strike.

* * *

Disbelief!Papyrus jumped back through the doorway of the main conference room, stamping his foot upon landing on the hardwood floor. This sent his own bones firing up from the floor and shattering against the jagged, purple stakes there were crashing up through the floor towards him.

Then, Papyrus lifted his bone staff, holding it up with both hands and catching the point of three more bones that were sent soaring through the air at him. He spun his weapon quickly, flinging the calcium spikes off his club. Then, he planted his feet, pointing his staff out towards the glowing purple eye in the darkness before him.

Dust!Sans walked calmly across the wood floor, slouched some with his hands buried in his jacket's front pockets. Then, suddenly, he yanked one hand free from his pockets, whipping it out to the side and then shoving it forward. On this command a blue Monster soul appeared on Papyrus's chest, and gravity yanked the taller skeleton backwards through the air.

Papyrus was thrown back down the hall, and when he glanced over his shoulder, he found those same jagged spikes of calcium awaiting him on the wall he was approaching. Swiftly he spun back in air so that his feet were heading first towards those prongs and barbs Then, just before those purple drenched spikes, a platform of his own pure white femurs appeared. He landed against this platform, standing horizontally.

He was forced to bend at the knees from his impact, before suddenly diving forward, racing with purpose back down the hall towards Dust!Sans. His soul returning to a white shade, he pulled his staff back over his shoulder like he was preparing to bat Sans' head right out the window. Sans just smiled, tilting his head and winking an eye shut before he disappeared, Papyrus swinging through nothing at all.

The tall skeleton flipped in air once more, landing on one knee and sliding a yard or two. Then he jumped to his feet, spinning around to face Sans. His brother from another timeline stood at the end of the hallway and in front of the two large doors that lead into the building. Dust!Sans grinned a little wider it seemed, shrugging and shaking his head. As he did so, he snapped his fingers on each hand, and over each of his shoulders a Gaster Blaster appeared.

The dragon skulls opened their maws wide, and as white light began to overflow past their jagged fangs, Papyrus dropped to one knee. He wrapped both hands around his staff, slamming its base into the ground before him. Just as boiling plasma fired down the hall, massive pillars of ivory blasted out from the floor before him, racing up and into the path of those beams.

Light peaked through the thin space between the bones, and Papyrus sweat as the searing heat of Sans' attack began melting his defenses. The violent flashes flickered out before his calcium pillars corroded enough though, and just as Papyrus stood, another purple eyed Gaster Blaster warped into existence behind him.

Without so much as flinching Papyrus slammed his staff down on the ground once more, and one porcelain pillar jutted down from the ceiling, blasting through the blaster's skull and crushing it to the ground. Its violet eyes flickered out, and Papyrus wasted no time. he lunged over his melted bone wall, holding his staff out to the side and racing down the hallway towards Sans.

Dust!Sans lifted one hand, and the room was illuminated as PATIENT blue bones appeared throughout the air around him. These pins of blue magic fired down the hall towards Papyrus, who darted swiftly between them, rapidly shutting the distance between himself and his brother. Suddenly, he lunged forward, pulling his club back and swiping at Sans the moment he was in range.

With appalling speed Dust!Sans ducked his head to the left and dodged Papyrus's strike, before immediately leaning back and dodging another swing. Papyrus growled with frustration, swiping back and forth with his club. All he ever struck was air however, Sans easily weaving between every strike. Finally, Papyrus crashed a strike downward towards Sans' head, and the shorter skeleton teleported right out from under him.

Sockets widening, Papyrus quickly spun around. The moment he did, three bones dug their cruel points right into his battle body. The force of this strike shoved him back off his feet, and blood spewed from between his teeth as he fell back into the doorway behind him. His weight threw the two doors apart, and Papyrus tumbled back down the hard stone steps leading out into the courtyard.

"Shoulda left when I told ya, bro." Left eye glowing with madness, Dust!Sans calmly walked out past those doors. He stood atop the steps, staring down at Papyrus. His brother was climbing slowly to one knee, head lowered and one hand on his abdomen, between the three purple stakes that were stuck deep in his ribs. "But that was always your problem."

Dust!Sans held one hand out to his side, and one long, jagged javelin of violet dipped bone appeared in his grasp. His footsteps were like thunder, slow and deliberate down the stone steps towards the kneeling Papyrus. The taller of the two brothers never lifted his head, never moved, not even as Dust!Sans bent his elbow, drawing that bone back and aiming right for the crown of Disbelief's skull.

"You never knew when to quit."

Suddenly, the moment Dust thrust his javelin forward, Papyrus lifted his head, and a BRAVE orange fire igniting in his right eye. He shifted, moving his shoulder in the path of this strike and letting it drive into his marrow, catching it with his body. This made Dust's sockets widen, but just as he leaned back, Papyrus reached out with his speared arm, snagging him roughly by the collar of his shirt.

And with a powerful battle cry, The Great Papyrus grabbed one of the brutal violet prongs that had penetrated his ribs, ripping it free from his body. His own blood overflowing down his battle body, Papyrus yanked his weapon back, and Dust!Sans' pupils shrunk in his head.

"H-hey wait-!"

STAB!

"G-guh!" Dust!Sans lurched forward, crimson droplets flicking out from between his everlasting grin as his own spike drove right through his abdomen, shooting out through the back of his sweatshirt. Red streams ran over the purple stained ivory, trickling down onto the darkening blue of Sans' pierced hoodie.

"M-my persistence... Was never a weakness..." Papyrus grunted out, placing his shaking phalanges over the red oozing hole in his battle body. As Sans crumpled to his knees, and then on to his side on the steps, Papyrus's body swayed back and forth. "It was, and always will be... My greatest strength..."

"Eugh..." Papyrus fell flat on his back, and his distant eyes focused tiredly on the green dome above. Still, his shaky fingers curled, clenching into tight, powerful fists. "T-the real... The real Sans... Understood that..."

"I-I... Am the real Sans, you..." Dust!Sans growled furiously, sockets wincing painfully as he wrapped his arms around his pierced abdomen. "Idiot..!"

"Nyeh heh heh..!" Papyrus's mouth curled into a smile in this wretched scene, a little bit of joy flickering in his exasperated eyes in spite of his brother's berating.

"Sounds like... Fake Sans propaganda... To me..."

* * *

BANG. BANG BANG.

"You know, in my experience, shoot outs are usually one of the more boring ways to have a fight!" Demon called from the overturned desk they were taking cover behind, bullets cracking the wood. In their right hand they clutched their empty gun, DETERMINATION glowing in its barrel.

"Yer more than welcome to step outta yer hidey hole n' make this quick!" Clover called out, peaking out around the corner of his own flipped desk. His ever accurate eye scanned their cover, watching carefully for any opening.

"Huh..." Demon narrowed their eyes thoughtfully, before a devilish grin creased their face. In their free hand, their knife appeared. Slowly and carefully they shifted behind their desk, turning to face its surface. They laid back on the tile floor and yanked back one foot then, before slamming their heel into the desk and sending it launching across the room towards Clover's cover. "Good idea!"

Instinctively Clover turned his guns skyward when Demon lunged into the air, standing behind his wooden shield of furniture. Unfortunately, just as his crosshairs landed on them, the desk they'd launched at him slammed into his own, jolting it forward and making it ram into his abdomen, forcing him to double over.

Just as Demon descended on Clover, he pulled himself over the two desks, essentially somersaulting over the furniture just as Demon slashed down, a red streak cleaving the wood in two. Clover dove to his feet behind them, and the two spun around at the same time, the both of them lifting one barrel to the other.

BANG BANG.

A bolt of red and a bolt of gold collided in the air, shattering one another and fizzling out into multicolored shards. Demon lunged after Clover then, lowering their shoulders and ducking his next shot. Once they got into range, they slashed their blade upwards at him, but he leaned backwards, a red slash illuminating the dark lab for a few moments as he sprung back, folding his forearms over his head and rolling back across the ground, putting further distance between them.

He stopped his roll on one knee, popping back up and whipping up both guns. Demon lunged into the air, rapid fire yellow bolts following close behind them. Clover shot up to his feet as they descended towards him, catching their knife between an X he made by crossing his two pistol's barrels over one another. He ground his teeth with exertion, struggling momentarily to keep their blade at bay.

Demon lifted their gun to his forehead with their free hand, and his eyes widened before he swiftly jerked his head to the right. With it, he yanked his guns to the right as well, pulling their blade and arm with him. In the same motion he lifted his leg, jamming his boot right into their abdomen with a kick that sent them launching back through the lab.

Clover planted his raised foot back on the ground, extending both arms and taking aim on Demon. Rapid fire pops echoed and golden light flashed across the lab towards Demon, who was quick to swap their knife out for their frying pan as they flew back through the air. They held it in front of their face and abdomen, pulling their knees up to their chest. Some golden bolts dinged off their frying pan, others sliced across their shoulders while a few plunged into their shins.

Pain screaming through their body, Demon ground their teeth together, forcing their hole punched legs to extend and catch them once they fell back towards the ground. Light red steam wafted up from their wounds as they planted their feet, growling and swiping away the last bullet firing at them with their frying pan. In the same motion they pulled up their revolver, ruby eye darting down its sight and landing on Clover's forehead.

"All ya do is steal!" Clover pointed out as he ducked down, red bolt firing over his head. He raced forward, hunched low to the ground while he planted his revolvers back in their holsters, quick fingers snapping them into place before his hands darted behind his back. From some strap in his poncho the cowboy yanked a pump action shotgun just as he reached Demon, whipping it right up under their frying pan and stuffing its barrel right up to their right shoulder.

BANG.

Demon's eyes snapped open in agony as the force of a slug tore through their arm, shredding muscle and maiming flesh. The force threw them right off their balance, their body slamming into some wooden table littered with papers and knocking it right over. Blood spattered parchment scattered across the floor, and Demon landed flat on their back, eyes clenched shut in pain as their right arm dangled limp.

A 'shuk-shuk!' reminded them of their scenario however, and Demon reached back to grab the table behind them, which leaned on its side. They yanked up one leg, kicking the barrel of Clover's shotgun just as he fired. His slug blasted through the florescent light that hung above them, sending glass raining with sparks down on the two. Demon pulled themself up on that table, flipping back behind it before Clover pulled his shotgun's barrel back down towards them.

Other weapons disappearing and knife reappearing in their left hand - the only hand they had that still worked - Demon lurched forward, another slug blasting over their destroyed right shoulder. They lunged over the table with a stab, and Clover stepped to the side, nimbly dodging their strike. They rolled once, before stopping on one knee just as Clover pointed his gun at the back of their head.

Demon jumped back, flipping over Clover and landing a few feet behind him. Right arm still hanging limp, they pulled their knife back in their left, stepping forward to drive it into Clover's back. Eye flaring with a vengeful gold, however, the cowboy shifted his footing, fingers wrapping tight around his shotgun. He jammed the butt of his pump action into Demon's face before they could stab them, bashing them hard enough to shatter their nose and make them recoil. Entire face scrunched up, they had no defense for the second strike from his weapon's stock, twice as hard as the last and in the same spot: square in the center of the face.

Clover spun on his heel then, batting them upside the head with the cruel metal barrel of his Remington 870. This final strike sent Demon clattering to the ground, landing hard on their side. They dropped their knife on the impact, and it slid across the floor.

Finally they opened their eyes, which were swollen and bloodshot from the brutal breaking of their nose and likely other parts of their face. Still their ruby orbs landed on their knife, but just as they reached for it, a hard kick flipped them flat on their back, and Clover planted a foot on their chest to keep them from squirming away. He pointed that barrel right down to Demon's face, and their terrified eyes darted between the endless void of the barrel to the shadow that covered Clover's eyes.

"... You know why I got outta the Underground, n' all the other Clovers didn't?" Clover's yellow eye burned through the dark, its golden flames licking up over the side of his cowboy hat. "It's 'cause JUSTICE gets more n' more vague the harder ya look at it. Cause'a that, them other Clovers got it twisted."

"But not me. Fer me, it's real simple." Clover pressed his shotgun's stock to his shoulder, and that unblinking golden eye stared right down those crosshairs. Demon found themself paralyzed under that eye, cold sweat mixing with the blood dripping down their face. "See, it's God's job to judge sinners like yerself."

Shuk-shuk!

 **"And it's my job to send'ja to Him."**

WHAM!

Demon's aching eyes widened as much as they could in cracked sockets when an eraser crashed into Clover's side, flinging the desperado right off them and through the brutal concrete wall of the lab. Vision hazy, they squinted desperately into the dark to find their savior, semi-wet footsteps echoing closer. As they stared up into the smudged darkness, a steak in the shape of Mettaton's face came into view.

"Christ, Chara, fuck happened while I was out?"

Jarred by this familiar voice, Demon ripped that item right out of the dark, devouring it hastily. As they ate, they felt their face healing. Their nose realigned, their orbital sockets resealed, their concussion dulled and disappeared. And the moment their vision returned to them, they looked with hopeful eyes right into the damp face of The Hacker.

"Heh, what's with that face?" Hacker reached up, running one hand through his still soaking wet hair and pushing his wet bangs back up off his forehead and out of his eyes. Behind him, the shattered glass of the pod he was in flickered brokenly with green lights. He must have punched right through the glass the moment he woke up, having seen Demon in danger across the lab. "You miss me or something?"

"Whoa!" Hacker suddenly exclaimed when Demon lunged forward, wrapping their arms around him and burying their face in his bare chest. This caught him off guard for two reasons. One: He never thought Demon was a hugger. Two: He was fresh out of a healing stew and only covered by his boxers. And while he considered pointing this out to tease them, when they squeezed him tighter, he thought it wasn't the time. Instead, he returned their embrace, a small smile tugging up his lips. "I'll take that as a yes."

"S-shut up..." They mumbled, not looking up at him. That made his smile widen some, before he lifted his green eyes to the man making his way back through the destroyed wall at the far side of the laboratory. Clover tossed the empty core of a crab apple over his shoulder, and the unnatural bend in the arm that Hacker's eraser had struck snapped back into place.

"Uh, Chara? Hate to ruin the moment, but we gots company." Hacker stated, and almost instantly Demon detached from him. They spun on their heel, facing Clover and opening one hand. Hacker knew what they wanted, and was quick to point one finger to their knife, which still laid on the floor. Ink seeped from the Deltarune burned into Hacker's back, coiling up his arm and flicking out from his finger. It wrapped around the handle of Demon's knife, tossing it up and over to them. The handle of their blade landed right in their palm, and their lips curled into a malevolent smile.

"Company, huh?" They lowered their head some, predatory eyes watching Clover like a hawk. Behind them, Hacker rose one arm lazily into the air. At this command, a Beat Blaster appeared on either side of the two. Demon spun their knife, right eye glowing red. "Well, I'd hate to be a poor host."

"Y'ain't exactly dressed to impress, boy." Clover chimed in, holding his arms out to his sides. He opened both of his hands, and in an instant a sawed off shotgun appeared in each palm. He wrapped an index finger around each trigger, pulling his arms forward and pointing those four barrels out at his two foes.

Hacker grinned wide at those words, face twisting into an evil sneer. He placed one hand on his hip, and pointed the other in a finger gun over Demon's lowered head. He took clear aim on Clover, and white light began to glimmer in the blasters looming over his shoulders. "I _strongly_ disagree."

* * *

Predator stomped, and from this collision ice blasted out in a tidal wave across the roof of the ship towards The Gatherer, who leisurely lifted his free hand, lighter sword in the other. On his arm, his tattoos ignited, cobras swirling up his arms before launching from his wrist. They shot up at the top of the impending iceberg, hooking their fangs into its peak.

Using his snakes like a grappling hook, Xander yanked himself at high velocity up into the air. He flipped right over the peak of this frozen tsunami, his serpents unhooking from the ice and slipping back onto the burning ink of his arm. He landed on his feet along the curve of the wave's back, surfing on the soles of his shoes down towards Lexi.

The Gatherer opened his free hand, bending his fingers in towards his palm but not forming a fist. Black smoke began to seep out of his hand's pores, swirling in a current up his fingers and over his knuckles. This torrent of gas picked up more and more speed, until static began to jolt back and forth in that black smog. Then, in an instant, he threw his hand down, snapping his fingers towards Lexi. From this sudden friction a thundering crash resounded, and an arch of blue lightning blasted out from Gatherer's finger tips.

"Shit-!" Predator threw her arms up in an X, ice building rapidly from her forearms. Xander's bolt exploded right into whatever shield she managed to create in the nick of time, and a wave of force blasted out from the collision. Smoke and steam swirling from her arms, Predator was sent launching back through the air. She sailed clear over the ledge, and Gatherer smiled triumphantly as she disappeared from his line of sight.

But, he didn't have much time to celebrate. The brutal, shattering screech of ice crash closer filling his ears was proof of that. He spun on his heel, immediately slashing clean through a block of frigid magic and splitting it vertically. These two light blue boulders flung over the ledge behind Xander, who kept his eyes ahead. More ice chunks of varying sizes were launching from the tidal wave Predator had thrown at him a moment ago.

Elegantly The Gatherer stepped between projectiles, slashing right through anything too big to side step. From hail to boulders, he skillfully evaded all that he could, until the violent crash of ice resounded from behind him as well. He glanced over his shoulder quickly, spotting one adrenaline junky riding a pillar of ice high into the sky behind him.

Predator laughed manically, her pillar curving from the air above and racing down towards Xander at a stunning velocity. The Gatherer was quick to jump back towards the shrinking iceberg behind him, projectiles still firing across the length of the ship as Lexi crashed right down in front of him. Shards of her ice stream shattered against the metal of the ship, flinging through the air behind her as she lunged forward, yanking her scythe back over her shoulder like she was planning to chop Xander's head clean off with it.

Gatherer leaned back, her chilled blade swiping right by his nose. She flipped her weapon in hand so that the blade was pointing back towards him, immediately swinging right at him again. He jumped over Lexi though, flipping as he was above her and pointing his free hand down at her. As embers crackled from his palm though, Predator reached right up to him with her own hand, frost rapidly creeping over her fingers.

She snatched his hand from the air, intertwining their fingers as he tried to blast flames and she tried to blast ice. This resulted in a ninety mile per hour gust of steam shooting out from between their interlocked fingers, obscuring each of them from the others view. This blast of condensation threw Lexi's hair back out of her face, making her eyes widen.

Still, she planted her feet, spinning around and yanking on Xander's hand, pulling him right through the steam and whipping him across the length of the ship. He flipped in air, landing on his feet and skidding back across the steel floor. By the time he had gotten steady footing Predator was already upon him, having sprinted right after him the moment she finished shit-whipping him.

She yanked her scythe up over her head, slicing down towards The Gatherer, who was quick to bring up his searing shortsword. His blade stopped the chilled edge of Lexi's weapon, a dull hiss resounding from their collision. It didn't last long though, as Xander spun, pulling his blade from Lexi's and swinging back around in a 360. She pulled her scythe back, holding its long handle in the path of Xander's blade and stopping it at her side.

"Always a thorn in my side!" Gatherer snarled, flames licking up from the corners of his mouth as his weapon struggled against Predator's. Violet and cyan glares were in a deadlock. The ground behind Lexi slowly froze over, and the air behind Xander began to wave and shift in the heat. "What did I ever do to you?!"

"You fucked up my house and tried to kill my friends!" Predator responded just as furiously, frosted mist steaming out from her own jaws. Both of their arms struggled and shook against one another, the both of them fighting desperately to overpower the other.

"You started this war, Lexi! You could have joined me, been one of my elites! " Xander growled as wind kicked up around the two, the hot and cold they were putting off creating opposing air currents. "But you turned your back on me! You threw away the chance to work towards a better future to chase cheap thrills!"

"Cheap thrills? Turned _my_ back on _you_?!" Lexi repeated his words with rage and disbelief, and around the two those winds were swirling upwards in a loose cone shape. "Don't try to feed me that peace lover bullshit, Xander!"

"I know you! I know you just want power, that's why you're doing all this!" Lexi shifted her footing, turning so that she faced Xander head on instead of from the side. Her and Xander's hair was being yanked and pulled at by the increasing winds, a steady stream of steam rising between them from where their weapons met. "The only person you care about is yourself! THAT'S WHY YOU STABBED ME IN THE BACK!"

Suddenly, the violent winds blasted up more harshly, and Predator growled with frustration, being forced to clench her eyes shut tight. She jumped back and out of the gusts that threatened tornado, and Xander was forced to jump back at the same time the two of them landing at opposing sides and sliding back some.

All was silent then, each of them brandishing a weapon to their side. Xander furrowed his brows with some confusion though, and because of that confusion, he spoke first.

"Stabbed you in the back?" He repeated her words back to her like he was looking for confirmation. Her glare was the only answer he received, and that made him tilt his head some. "What are you talking about?"

"The day we all got pulled in, asshole!" Predator snarled, white knuckled fists trembling around her scythe. "When that trade went tits up! When the gangs turned on me n' Anthony!"

"..." Gatherer's eyebrows rose with surprise at this accusation, before they slowly lowered. gradually, his lips curled upwards, a malevolent joy glimmering in his eyes. "You think that was _my_ doing?"

"There's only _one_ person who had the authority over the gangs that it would take to get them to turn on me and Anthony!" Ice shattered up from the ground in knee high spikes around Predator, her left eye igniting in DETERMINED flames. Her skin was freezing, but her blood was boiling beneath. She lifted one hand from her scythe, jabbing her finger in Xander's direction. "And that person is _you_ , you piece'a shit!"

"Oh, Lexi, darling..." Smirk clear on his face, Gatherer shut those violet eyes. He shook his head slowly, like he pitied her. "There were _two_ people with that kind of authority, actually."

"What?" Lexi furrowed her brows, jaw clenching. She was watching Xander's every move now, careful for any indication that he was spewing lies. "Who?"

"Lexi, who was our organization's all seeing eye?" Gatherer questioned, tilting his head to the side. He straightened his back, folded his hands together politely as he posed his questions. "The faceless man behind every screen, listening through every phone. Respected and feared by every grunt we had. The only person who could ever _possibly_ outwit me. Remind me, _what was his name_?"

"..." Slowly, Lexi's cyan eyes began to widen. The flare over her left iris flickered out, DETERMINATION replaced by shock and creeping terror. This single piece Xander had just given her was setting a thousand other puzzle pieces in place. But, before the picture could be finished, Lexi shook her head. Through grinding teeth she spoke, "Angel would _never_."

"Oh Lexi... You think you know him so well, don't you? That's okay." Xander smiled with feigned care and patience, his forked tongue hidden behind his pearly white teeth. "I thought I knew him too. But, looking back, I think the only one who really understood the kind of person Angel is was Anarchy."

"You're just trying to turn me against him." Lexi lowered her head, wrapping both hands around her scythe's handle. Frost crept up around her fingers. Her voice was low now, fury burning just below the cold of her eyes.

"I wish that were true." Sorrow glimmering in his amethyst orbs, Xander frowned lightly, shaking his head. He sighed quietly through his nose, like he really felt for her plight. "I wish it had just been my own wretched plot."

"I wish I didn't have to live with the shame of being outplayed by that dead-eyed, pasty, ungrateful, worthless..!" Xander's composure was suddenly cracking. His frown deepened, and his teeth started to grind against one another. His fingers curled back into white knuckled fists, his nostrils flared. But then, he took a deep breath. His jaw relaxed, his expression calmed as he shut his eyes. Slowly he breathed out through his nose, before his magenta eyes opened again, the rage burning in them a moment ago hidden away.

"... I wish he had loved you like you loved him, Lexi."

"SHUT UP!" Predator snapped, baring her fangs. A bone chilling gust blasted out from around her, forcing Gatherer to wince as his hair and clothes were tugged at by the lethal air. The floor rapidly froze over beneath the wind, but Gatherer refused to flinch. "I don't wanna hear anymore lies outta you!"

"I saw it myself!" Gatherer proclaimed, taking a step forward and plating a hand on his chest. That Anger smoldered in his eyes as he defended his point. "They _found the mansion_ , Lexi."

Predator recoiled some at that, but didn't say a word. She didn't let her glare disappear just yet, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt Xander, either.

"I scrambled to escape, and because I cared I went to check Angel's room as they broke down the front gate." Painfully and bitterly Xander narrowed his violet eyes, hands clenching into fists. More of that indignation burned in his expression, and embers flicked up from between his clenched fingers. "He was already gone. Belongings packed and taken with him."

"Stop it." Predator ordered, shrunken pupils trembling in her eyes. She felt sick. Those pieces were coming together, paint was falling into perfect placing. The picture was becoming more and more clear, and it disgusted her.

"The safe was wide open, and a pretty large percentage of my money was gone." Gatherer lowered his head, eyes glowing a deadly purple into the night. She could see it. The hate, the humiliation, the fury. It all burned in those eyes. It was real. "He planned it. He planned all of it. He plotted our downfall and it went through _flawlessly_."

"..." Lexi was silent. Her hair fell over her eyes, black strands swaying some as cold winds gusted by. Her jaw didn't clench, her lips formed not smile nor frown. She was still, blank. Like some statue, carved from unbreakable rock. But then, after several long moments, she moved. Her hand tightened around that scythe, and she lifted it, pointing its blade right at the man before her. "... No more talking."

The wind shifted her long bangs, revealing one eye. It was wide, and like the rest of her face it was devoid of emotion. Its iris lacked any and all PATIENCE, left with only blood red DETERMINATION. Slowly, a sheet of frost crept up her cheek. She was like a corpse, dead in the snow. Gatherer thought she looked like Death in that instant. Frozen and empty.

 **"Time to die."**

* * *

Blood flew through the air and I was forced to step back, red streaming from my newly split lip. Cliff was quick to grab me by the collar though, yanking back another right hook. My disturbed eyes jumped right to him though, and I reached out, grabbing both sides of his fat head. I yanked my skull back before throwing it forward, slamming our foreheads together in a brutal crash.

"Agh!" Cliff exclaimed, dropping me and stumbling back to grab his now throbbing skull. I landed on one knee, panting lightly while I reached up, wiping crimson from my chin with the back of my fist. Cliff steadied himself, running his fingers over his forehead and bringing them down into his line of vision. When he saw the red dripping from his finger tips, he frowned, hand clenching into a tight fist.

"You... You're supposed to be The Angel, aren't you?" Cliff narrowed his eyes at me as he lowered his knuckles. He loomed over me, tall and proud.

"Somethin' like that..." I answered, grunting as I pushed myself to my feet. Once again DETERMINED mist steamed up from my lip, sealing up that crack Cliff's knuckle had put in it.

"Hmph. You don't look like much of an Angel to me. Don't fight like one, either." Orange lightning crackled over his clenched fists as he began taking bold steps towards me, and a little smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "C'mon, where's the laser light show? Complex and creative attacks, fast paced assaults! Are you even trying?"

"..." My bitter eyes squinted, my cracked lips digging deeper into their frown. I threw my arms out to the sides, and the underside of my sleeves bulged as mechanical pencils formed under my arms. Then, I pointed my arms out towards Cliff, taking aim on him with my graphite cannons. "Maybe I don't think you're worth it."

"Yeah right!" Cliff suddenly shouted, lowering his stance and darting towards me. My arms recoiled some as I began firing spikes of graphite from those mechanical pencils, but Cliff darted with ease between each of them. They either flew by him and off the building's side or stabbed into the ground or a piece of rubble. As he got in close, he threw his electric knuckles into an oncoming pin and sent it exploding into grey mist. "You're just sloppy! Unfocused!"

*He's on to you.

I barely managed to dodge out of the way of the punch that soared through the grey smoke, ducking back far enough to plant my hands on the ground behind me and flip back out of Cliff's range. When I landed back on my feet, I stomped one foot down in front of me, and pens fired up in a wave from the ground between us.

"You lack conviction!" Cliff continued to berate me as he lunged right over the pens I tried to impale him with, throwing a heavy fist at my head as he dove towards me. I ducked though, and as he landed behind me, my wings beat, launching me up into the air and out of his fist's range. The two of us spun around at the same time, glaring at one another as I looked down at him from the sky above. "You can't even bring yourself to care about this, can you?!"

"I care about this!" I shouted my lie, eye twitching some as his words shot holes in me. My hands clenched into tight, trembling fists at my sides. I was shaken, paper thin. He was unbreakable, forged from steel.

"No you don't, Angel. _I_ care about this." Cliff stood tall, pointing one thumb back into his own chest as he narrowed his orange eyes to a brutal glare up at me. With his free hand, he gestured out to the world around us. "All of this? This is my life. The Gatherer's dream is _my_ dream! The Gatherer's will is _my_ will!"

"Xander doesn't give a shit about you _or_ your dream!" I proclaimed, throwing my hands down towards Cliff. Ink fired from my sleeves in two separate spikes at him, whistling through the air to impale him. "The only thing he's ever cared about is himself and his power! You're all expendable to him!"

"The Gatherer fights for the safety and prosperity of all!" Cliff spoke with more dedication than I'd ever heard, planting his feet as my attacks barreled closer. He reached up, his aura flaring in brilliant, shimmering volts as his hands snapped shut around my ink spears, stopping them dead. "But _you_ would never understand that!"

"Hiding away in your happy little timeline! You're a coward!" Cliff's lightning was conducted by my ink, boiling the black liquid and racing towards me at a speed I couldn't comprehend. The electricity hit me, and I roared in agony, throwing my head back as hundreds of volts ignited my flesh. The power of Cliff's BRAVERY was crushing me, searing my skin. "Loafing around, trying to hide your identity, all while The Anarchist kills in your name! You have so much power and you WASTE IT!"

"The multiverse needs you, and you spit in its face time and time again!" Cliff roared with exertion as he yanked back on my ink spikes, pulling me right down towards him at shocking speeds. He let go of the smoking sludge as momentum carried me towards him, the electricity fading from my flesh. He cocked back one fist, and when I got in range, he smashed my jaw with an earth shattering hook. "You make me SICK, Angel The Hacker!"

 _... He's right._ I found myself thinking as blood, saliva, and teeth flew through the air. The force of Cliff's strike threw me towards the ledge, but my body was limp. Singed hair shadowed my empty eyes as I sailed right over the edge of the plateau that we battled on, wings being thrown back and forth uselessly in the winds. _I'm a coward. I'm weak._

 _... I can't win._ Footsteps thundered closer, racing towards the ledge after me. Cliff dove over the edge, loosing a primal roar as he pulled both knees to his chest, before blasting two feet into my sternum. Lifelessly my mouth opened, more scarlet colors spewing up from between my shattered jaws. I felt ribs break, stab through other important organs. Then, the force carried through, and I was sent blasting straight down from Cliff's impact. _He's gonna kill me._

 _... But..._ The concrete path that lead into what was left of Xander's mansion exploded when my body hit it, and when a crater formed beneath me from my impact, I felt even more important things snap and shatter throughout my body. My wings were nothing but black paint splatters on the ground beneath me, two dimensional and disconnected from my body. My lifeless eyes never blinked, staring straight up as Clifford The BRAVE plummeted right down towards me. Slowly, my one working hand clenched into a fist.

 ** _I don't want to die._**

Cliff smashed right down on top of me, each of his knees crushing each of my forearms. Relentless, he pulled another fist back after pinning my broken body there, smashing a punch into my slowly healing jaw. He continued to rant, "It is your duty as one of the strong to bring this world closer to prosperity, not hide in your room like some punk kid!"

*Rage.

"As you are, you are no Angel! You are no hero!" Cliff threw my head back and forth with punch after punch. But, somehow, despite his repeated face breaking blows, my jaw continued to reform. New teeth popped from my gums for every tooth that was clobbered out of my mouth. On the chest Cliff was sitting on, a red soul was starting to glow brighter and brighter. "Just some selfish, punkass brat!"

*Rage!

"I put everything into all that I do! I will not stop fighting, I will not give in!" Cliff told me, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt and pulling my limp head off the ground some, just to start bashing my face in with his free hand. But, every time my nose was broken, it snapped right back into place before the next punch. "I am The Gatherer's unbreakable shield! I will not lose!"

*RAGE!

"Not until I run out of blood to spill!" Snarling, Cliff pulled back one fist, clenching it so tightly it trembled. Voltage crackled and jumped between his knuckles, the orange light growing brighter and brighter. He charged every ounce of power he had into this hand, preparing to crush my very skull.  
With a roar, he threw his final punch. "Not until my soul is torn from my chest! Not until it is crushed before my eyes!"

CRUNCH.

Cliff's brows furrowed some, a certain mix of disgust and surprise entering his eyes as he stared down at me. In my jaws his fist was caught, his blood slowly running down from the new holes in his glove. Scarlet streams ran along his fist, dripping down my fangs and onto my tongue. I felt like a shark when the taste of his blood hit me. A new, vicious desire arose in my heart. I writhed underneath him, snarling and frothing while my teeth sunk deeper into his fist.

Hair shadowed my right eye, but my left eye was visible. It stared wide up at him, pupil shrunken in murderous fury. But what caught Cliff's attention was that this eye was not KIND. Its green shade had disappeared into a sea of red. I could feel it, my DETERMINED soul was pulsating. Crimson power was coursing through my veins and out of each of my wounds. As my body started healing itself all over, Cliff's eyes darted to the scarlet mist that began forming a fog around the two of us.

"... There it is." Cliff's eyes narrowed with disdain, and he yanked his fist out of my jaws. He didn't seem to mind the flesh that was shredded on his hand by this sudden motion, his blood spilling out over his fingers and dripping down his nails. "That's why Anarchy wants you."

I snarled, frothed, hissed and growled. My head leaned up, jaws snapping up at him like some rabid dog trapped on a leash. Cliff didn't flinch though, instead bending his arm and cracking his elbow right down into my face. This impact made my head fling back down, where it bounced brutally off the concrete. "Your real eyes are just like his."

"That's what you're afraid of, isn't it, Hacker?" Cliff lifted his knee from my shattered arm, resting his hand on it and pushing himself up to his feet. He stared down at me with some mix of disgust and pity as I gagged, vomiting a stomach full of blood up onto my chest. "It was never the outside world that you couldn't fight. It's what's inside you."

All I could do was growl feebly as he reached down, grabbing a handful of my brown hair. He walked around me as he yanked me up to my feet, and a weak grumble shook in my throat, my eyes wincing shut as I grabbed and clawed at his hand. He dragged me to my spaghetti legs though, forcing me to turn around. My back to the unstable building behind me, I slouched, legs trembling violently. The only thing keeping me on my feet was the hand on my head.

"Maybe it's better that you kept to yourself after all." Cliff said simply, before yanking one boot up. that lightning burst to life on his leg, and then with bone breaking force he booted me square in the chest. I was sent launching back through the wall of Gatherer's mansion, flying through support beams and by leaning walls and drooping ceilings.

The building was already hardly standing after Predator's assault completely rocked it, and it seemed the force of my body being launched through it like a rocket knocked something important loose. I smashed into a staircase, my body falling limp back against it. My lifeless eyes glossed over the walls as they caved in, watched the ceiling drop down on me.

I never flinched. I didn't feel anything when rock and wood fell over me. I don't remember closing my eyes. I just remember watching more and more fall onto me, until everything was dark.

* * *

Slowly, my eyes opened back up. I was laying flat on my back now, staring up at wooden planks and rusted pipes. It was dark; shadows slithered and hissed just outside my line of vision. Worms giggled and gnashed their teeth, their fangs reflecting what little light the basement had every now and again.

 _ **Back again.**_

I turned my head to my right, spotting the broken pipe that rained water down onto the basement floor. I was out of the range of its puddle now, the hiss of its water a dull whisper across the basement. The louder noise was the vicious ripping and tearing. The gnashing of jaws, the disgusting slurping of blood and flesh.

 _ **It's here.**_

I turned my head to left, letting my lifeless eyes land on the back of the ivory ghoul. His vertebrae were curved on his emaciated back as he hunched over his latest kill, pencil thin arms dragging handfuls of raw meat into his voracious jaws. He was only a few feet from me now. Just two or three steps and I would reach him.

 _ **Too late.**_

My eyes scrolled down to the cruel metal that rested right at my finger tips, gleaming a beautiful red corruption. The crimson streams that ran over its chilled surface were already trickling down my fingers, slipping into my palm and staining my skin. So, I didn't hesitate, reaching out and closing my digits around the ivory ghoul's weapon. I felt its taint burn into my flesh, but I didn't flinch.

 _ **Brothers.**_

Slowly, and with deliberate quietness, I sat up. I climbed gradually to my feet, tip toeing across the cool, damp floor. I rose that weapon over my head, and felt red drip from its curve. It landed on my cheek, slowly slipping its way like a teardrop down to my chin. One step... Two... Three. I loomed behind the ivory ghoul now, its ripping and slurping the only thing I could hear.

I hesitated there, my hand clammy around his crowbar's poison. I watched him eat. Every jerking head movement, every lurch back and forth. But then, I became transfixed on something else. My eyes drifted to the body he was devouring, furrowing with some sick curiosity. It was his mother, wasn't it? He had eaten her here, mutilated her for all that she'd done.

But, the more I looked at this corpse the more my blood froze. I realized I recognized this unfortunate soul. The yellow and green striped shirt. The auburn hair that fell messily over a deathly pale, blood splattered face. Chara laid there, flat on their back, expression frozen in death. They looked horrified, jaw gaping open, dull red eyes staring wide into nothing at all. I couldn't bare to look to their abdomen, where the ghoul was hunched over, ripping mouthfuls of flesh free in his jagged fangs.

 _ **Happily ever after.**_

My hand trembled and my pupils shrunk. Knuckles beginning to whiten around that crowbar, my nostrils flared, lips drawing back to reveal my own fangs in a vicious snarl. My blood, momentarily frozen, now bubbled and boiled. More crimson dripped from the crowbar I held high, splattering onto my forehead. It ran down into my wide eyes, slipped into the whites. It slithered over the green in my irises, smothering my KINDNESS with a wrathful red.

My breath was rapid and furious through my grinding teeth, and I yanked that crowbar even higher above my head. All my muscles strained with hysterical strength, and I swung viciously down at the back of the ivory ghoul's skull. But, once again, his weapon slapped feebly into his palm, and the blood splattered face of The Anarchist snapped around to face me.

He opened his mouth unnaturally wide and lurched towards me, revealing row after row of teeth. All covered in Chara's blood. My hand shot up as he bit at my face, and I hooked my fingers in his bottom jaw, growling furiously as I held his head back away from my face. His maw was forced open by my hand, unable to close and trembling with exertion against my arm, which did the very same. My digits dug into his fangs, impaling themselves just so that my hand would remain planted in that mouth. I didn't feel pain. I didn't bleed.

We struggled against one another, my teeth grinding as desperate grunts escaped my throat. Then, a hellish screech blasted out from behind Anarchy's many rows of teeth, his glowing crimson eyes flaring with animalistic rage. I was not phased, however. In fact, I yanked back my head, bashing my forehead into his and staring into his DETERMINED red eyes with my own. Then, I unhinged my own jaw, and I screamed right back in his face.

It was an equally horrible sound.

 _ **Karma.**_

 _Vrrrt... Vrrrt... Vrrrt..._

My eyes opened groggily as a new sound hit my ears. A dull vibration ran through my thigh from my pocket, catching my attention. Sluggishly I fumbled through what little space I had, my eyes examining my surroundings. Green light trickled in through cracks between the concrete chunks that had nearly crushed me. As it turned out, after a few stones had hit me in the head, the real big rocks hadn't been able to crush me. The rubble had all fallen in such a way that other broken chunks of stone and wood had kept a floor's worth of a concrete slab from crashing down on me, propping it up two or three feet over my head. I didn't have much space, but enough to move around in.

I pulled my vibrating phone from my pants pocket, eyes never looking to see who was calling me. Thoughtlessly I slipped my thumb over the answer button, before holding the speaker up to my ear. "... Hello?"

" _Finally_! Cter?!"

"... Speaking." I blinked my eyes lifelessly, watching a few pebbles skip and roll down the stone above me. I recognized the voice on the other end to be Gaster, and the pebbles dropped from above, plopping meaninglessly onto my arm before tumbling off into some dark cracks in the rubble below me.

"Good! Now where in god's name are you?!"

"... Uhh..." I furrowed my brows lightly, emerald orbs scanning the boulder that loomed over me. Gaster sounded pretty panicked, but it hardly registered, my mind encapsulated by a hundred and one other things. "... Hiding under a rock, why do you ask?"

"This is no time for jokes, Cter! Listen, this is a serious emergency!"

"Not to be confused with all those _not_ serious emergencies." I mumbled my jaded joke, not so much as cracking a smile at it. I heard Gaster in one ear and everything Cliff had shouted at me in the other. My eyes saw not the rubble, but the gaping maw of The Anarchist. The lifeless face of Chara's corpse. The terrifying red eyes I glared into. What did it all mean? Why of all reasons would I be dreaming about-

"Oh for the love of- Cter! Anarchy! Is! Here!"

 _ ***_O_h_?**_

Time stopped. My lungs were filled with concrete. My arteries pumped ice water. My eyes were popping out of my head, and my pupils were pin pricks. My expression, just a moment ago dull and jaded, was now alight with terror. My mouth hung open, lips moving slowly. But no words came, not for several long moments.

"Cter? Cter?!"

 _"_W_h_a_t_?_"_ My eyes creaked over to my left, like I was trying to look at my phone. I never blinked, pupils trembling violently. Gaster stumbled and stammered, and it made that ice water in my veins start to heat rapidly, anger overtaking shock.

"I-it's, uhm- look, this white haired human just-"

"I know what he looks like!" I cut Gaster off, my voice now coming through my grinding teeth. I sat up as much as I could, my eyes darting forward again. Then, once more the image of Chara dead on the floor flashed before me. My eyes twitched, fear flooding them as my fingers trembled around my phone. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton. I could feel some hysterical energy starting to pulse through me, the crimson glow of my soul lighting the darkness around me and overtaking the dim green that outlined everything. "Where's Chara?!"

"They're fighting him on Mount. Ebott! But, I don't know how long they'll be able to-"

I tuned out of Gaster's voice. The world around me was completely silent. My chest was so tight I thought my sternum was gonna concave. Rapid fire images shot by my eyes, mismatched sentences playing over and over and over in my ears.

 _ **"You really are too KIND."**_

 _ **"You're a coward!"**_

 _ **"Sometimes you have to pull the trigger."**_

 _ **"You'll be just like me."**_

 _ **"Your greatest strength could also be your greatest weakness."**_

 _ **"What if another fanatic shows up?!"**_

 _ **"So, do you just spare everyone?"**_

I saw Granny's corpse. I saw Anthony's mother. I saw Anthony's smile. Chara's corpse. The Killer's piercing red eyes. Anarchy's grin. Chara's corpse. The bell my dad gave me. The Deltarune on my back. The scar on my chest. Chara's corpse. Anarchy's crowbar. The basement. Chara's corpse. Chara's corpse. Chara's corpse Chara's corpse Chara's corpse.

Cracks split the screen of my phone, my grip on it rapidly tightening. I leaned back, planted my foot on the metric fuckton of a rock that loomed over me. My teeth ground and ground against one another. My soul flared violently. My leg strained, muscles tightening as red flames flickered to life along it. And then, instantly...

Cliff snapped his head back around, looking to the rubble behind him. When the rest of the building had come down, rubble had filled the entire area between Gatherer's mansion and the courtyard. It had crushed the fence separating these two areas, spilling over into the courtyard like an overflowing garbage dump. And from the center of this garbage dump a massive slab of concrete suddenly launched into the air, flipping and spinning across the sky before crashing loudly into the stone floor.

 _Dies Irae Instrumental Mix_ by _Apashe_ began playing.

His orange eyes spotted me there, rising from the destruction and mayhem. I stood, hunched forward and arms hanging limp at my sides. The air surrounding me began to shimmer and wave, as though it was rapidly heating. I never lifted my head, eyes covered by the shadow of my hair. More and more cracks crept over the screen of the phone in my vice grip. Then, the glass shattered completely, raining down to the ground before the rest of the phone exploded apart in my grasp. The moment it did, a gust of wind bellowed out from the ground at my feet, washing over the rubble and down to Cliff.

Furrowing his brows with growing confusion, Cliff threw his arms up to guard against the searing winds that washed over him. They burned his skin, made him wince. But regardless he remained still, watching as my fists clenched tighter, as my body trembled. My nails ripped open my palms, but no blood came. Only the healing flames of my DETERMINATION spilled out from between my fingers.

The air around me crackled and burned. Crimson embers began igniting on the shards of wood that surrounded me. Steam rose from the concrete under my feet, as though it was beginning to melt. Several rebar spikes protruded from random blocks of rubble around me, and they began to droop and bend down, their color slowly changing from a cool grey to a bright, bubbling orange. I opened my mouth and exhaled slowly. When I did, scarlet mist seeped out from my jaws, slowly rising over my face.

Over my chest, my red soul burned violently. Flames burst to life on the chest of my shirt, their heat eating through the fabric. Soon, more fires were breaking out over my skin. The voracious embers of my DETERMINATION bore holes in my shirt and sweatshirt. Slowly, I unclenched my fists. I lifted my arms, straightening my back but never lifting my head.

And as I held my arms out straight to my sides, the moment I opened my palms wide, crimson light blasted up around me. A pillar of fiery DETERMINATION blasted up high into the sky, its light illuminating the entire compound in a terrifying red. Being surrounded by its heat, my shirt and sweatshirt were fully scorched from my body, leaving my scarred chest and branded back bare.

The beam of power exploded against the KIND green dome overhead, and then it shattered right through, sending shards of energy shields raining down from above and other cracks spreading rapidly through the barrier. The green light that had been illuminating the compound dimmed, and was overtaken by my devastating crimson.

* * *

"You know, I really think we're just a bad match up for these guys." Muffet said, putting her lowermost hands on her hips. Her and Grillby looked down at Swap!Alphys and Fell!Undyne, who were both unconscious and restrained by spider webs at their feet.

"Yeah, they definitely should have sent someone else our way." Grillby agreed, pushing up his glasses. "I mean, I'm certainly not complaining about this being easy, but-"

Suddenly, a wave of heat exploded into them, and they turned their heads quickly as red light washed over them. Eyes wide in shock, the two of them were suddenly paralyzed by the sight before them. A massive pillar of DETERMINATION reached high into the sky from across the courtyard, swirling violently.

"The hell-?!" Grillby recoiled, hands remaining in his pockets. While the heat didn't phase him much for obvious reasons, Muffet had to lift two of her right arms, holding them up in front of her face and wincing into the bright light. But then, her eyes caught the green shards raining down from above, and they widened in horror.

"AUGH!" Melanie's voice rang from behind the two, and they spun around to see that her own barrier that she'd built around herself had shattered, and she fell flat on her back, grabbing the pulsing green soul on her chest. She clenched her jaw tight, and her eyes were shut in the same manner.

"Melanie!" Muffet spun around, racing to the girl's side. She knelt quickly beside Melanie, propping her head up in two of her arms. She looked briefly over the poor girl's pained expression, and then lifted her eyes to the barrier above. Her hands clenched into fists, anxiety sparking in her as she watched more and more cracks start to spiderweb throughout the barrier that kept Gatherer's armies outside.

"The barrier's coming down." Grillby stated with urgency, stepping up to Muffet's side and glancing down to her. "We need to get out of here."

"A-agh... A-Angel..." Melanie spoke slowly, and both Muffet and Grillby looked down to her. Muffet furrowed her brows, and Grillby remained silent, worry crackling in his fiery eyes.

"Just rest, dearie." Muffet advised, placing the back of one of her six hands on Melanie's forehead like she was checking for a fever.

"Angel... You've gotta, take me to Angel..." Slowly, she managed to open her green eyes, mouth hanging open in weak panting.

"Dearie, no, we need to get you to the-" Muffet began, but Melanie was quick to interject.

"Please, Muffet! He needs me..!" Melanie begged, grabbing a fistful of Muffet's shirt. Her emerald eyes were desperate, pleading right with her. "His soul, I-I felt it... H-he..."

Sadness was clear in Muffet's five eyes as she watched Melanie's expression relax. Her eyes grew distant, and slowly closed. Her hand relaxed, slipping off of Muffet's chest and falling limply into her lap. Melanie's head turned to the side as she passed out in Muffet's arms, and Muffet turned her head, looking up to Grillby.

Neither of them said a word. They just stared at each other for a few seconds, before turning their eyes to the twisting tower of DETERMINATION in the distance.

* * *

"N-... Nyeh..?" Papyrus's distant eyes struggled over to spot the looming tower of power, squinting with confusion. It took several long seconds for his tired eyes to focus in on the flashing lights in the distance, but when he finally made it out, he was left with more questions than answers.

"H-heh... I really... Must be dyin'..." Dust!Sans grinned his crooked smile, blood overflowing past his teeth. He laid on his side, flickering eye resting on the torrent of fire in the distance. His body was getting colder, so those boiling hot winds felt undeniably pleasant.

* * *

"What in tarnation?!" Clover leaned his back against a slab of broken wall, staring with one stunned eye over his shoulder at the scorching red tornado. It had just suddenly blasted to life, unnatural and unwanted and admittedly terrifying. It was all the cowboy could do to hide behind something sturdy, the rising heat making sweat break out on his tanned forehead. "What kinna twister is that?!"

"... That's no twister, Roadhouse." From across a brief opening Hacker spoke, huddled with Demon behind a different shattered wall. He poked his head out some into the open, green eyes staring bitterly up at the object of everyone's terror.

By his side, Demon pressed their back tight to the wall, wide eyes staring straight ahead. It was like they were trying to hide, as though they were afraid this disaster would see them. They lifted their clammy hands, slowly placing them over their chest. They spoke quietly, but every word hit Clover's ears painfully loud.

"... That's The Angel."

* * *

"Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!" Mad Mew Mew spoke with growing panic, stumbling backwards and away from the flashing scarlet. So focused and terrified was she that she tripped right back over the fountain, letting out an 'Eep!' before dropping back into the water.

Silently, Kris stared up into the torrent of flames. They were paralyzed, both their shield and their sword dropping from their grip. As their weapons hit the ground, they watched a pure white light flicker in front of this unholy hurricane, swirling and taking form. As this ivory energy took shape, the scorching winds shifted Kris's hair, revealing their wide, unblinking eyes.

And when that white plasma took the form of the Deltarune, flaring its power in another, harsher gust of wind, Kris felt their legs buckle. They dropped down to weak knees, feeling the world pressurize. They were stuck, entranced, both in awe at this holy vision and terrified by this devastating power. The earth was quaking. The air was vibrating. And as broken KINDNESS rained from above, it seemed even the sky was falling.

"Kris-?!" Susie leaned down to grab Kris's arm, when suddenly her own eyes went wide. With another pulse of power from the raging soul ahead of them, it seemed gravity had doubled. Her Monster soul was disgusted, threatened by the overpowering humanity that flared ahead. She grunted, being forced to drop to one knee.

Her eyes glossed over to Kris's face, which had not yet changed. Still they stared skyward, haunted by beauty and fear alike. Susie thought about speaking, but what words could possibly be louder than these winds? So, instead, she just turned her head, facing the whipping gusts. Pensive was she, holding her breath along with the rest of the world.

* * *

Horror!Flowey shut its jaws to reform its semi-damaged eye, which stared right up into the sky, red light reflecting in its pale yellow shade. Even the two beasts had stopped their battle, shuttering under the unfathomable power on display. Flowey, ever cowardly at heart, began to shrink. Its roots returned their strength to the tremors of the earth, and its body began to shrivel from that of a grand and horrifying creature to a tiny flower.

GB!Sans turned his head towards Flowey just in time to watch it pop back into the ground, fleeing the scene with its tail tucked between its roots. Sans huffed blue flames from his nostrils at this, before turning his slit pupils back into the burning winds.

He lowered onto four legs, as though he was trying to appear smaller. His eyes never left the devastation, watching for any movement, any change. He felt as though at any moment, something beyond his comprehension could turn and begin to hunt him.

* * *

No words were spoken between The Gatherer and The Predator. Xander had turned his head, cold sweat boiling on his forehead as his shrunken pupils focused on the scarlet tower that had risen right beside the ship. The torrential winds threatened to shove him and Predator right off their platform, but they used all their might to keep steady.

Rapidly Xander raced through his thoughts, trying to find an answer. A reason, a cause for this horrifying display. And after several seconds that felt like several hours, he remembered words he had heard just earlier today. A warning that, while he hadn't much considered at the time, now stabbed fear like a javelin right through his chest.

 _"He got **stronger**. Stronger than us. Stronger than anything we've ever seen." _

_Clifford!_ Xander thought immediately, fear burning in his violet eyes. He took a step forward, like his body was preparing to break off in a sprint towards that ledge and jump down. But, before he could, he heard Lexi's voice.

"... Yeah, I see that the barrier broke." She had two fingers in her ear, presumably speaking through some communicator. Despite the crumbling of the world around her, she remained hauntingly stoic. Illuminated in red, the crimson even reflected in her PATIENT eyes, which never turned away from the DETERMINATION spire. "We can't afford to bring the ship any lower. You have to get everyone up to the hanger."

"... Angel?" She repeated back to her communicator, eyes narrowing with an emotion that Xander couldn't place. Her lips slowly descended down her face, forming a deep frown. "Leave him. He can handle himself."

 _She's going to escape..._ Gatherer thought, uncertain purple orbs darting between The Predator and The Angel's light. Slowly, his jaw tightened, and rage overtook his concern. _She destroyed my compound, set me back thousands of hours... And she thinks she's allowed to leave?!_

Lexi made her way through the searing gusts, hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. She was walking towards the ledge just over the hanger, which lead back into her ship. But, before she neared the edge, a wave of fire blasted out past her, forcing her to stop dead. Her head snapped over to look at The Gatherer, hatred colder than any ice she could form apparent in her eyes.

"I'm not letting you or your thugs escape, Predator." The Gatherer growled, flames trickling up from the corners of of his snarl. Predator didn't have any words for that. Instead, she turned her body to face Xander, wrapping both hands around her scythe. In her eyes he saw it. 'Fine' she must have been thinking. 'I'll just go through you.'

 _... Clifford will be fine._ Xander gulped, steeling his nerve and focusing his mind. He pointed his flaming blade out towards The Predator, and his left eye ignited in red flames. _I can't let her escape._

 ** _Clifford will be fine._**

* * *

"What in god's name is that?!" Eden demanded to know, holding up both hands in front of her face. The winds in her ears were deafening, and she was by far one of the closest to the hellfire. The only thing that stood between her and what she could only think to call 'impending doom' was Clifford the BRAVE.

Briefly Eden glanced over her shoulder to try to find the fluffy wizard she had been facing, and she spotted him stumbling towards his other two friends. It shocked her that he could even walk under the incredible weight of this atomic disaster raining down on them. The weight had shoved her down to her knees, left her defenseless. She had put her notebook away in her inventory, for she feared these extreme heats would ignite it in her very hand.

It was all she could do to lift her head and peak between her fingers, wincing her purple eyes to see. All was red before her, apart from one shadowed figure maybe fifteen feet ahead of her. Her elder brother Cliff stood unphased, fearless. His back was to Eden, his fists raised and his feet planted.

He was The Gatherer's Unbreakable Shield. He would not yield, not under any circumstances.

* * *

There I stood, in the epicenter of my soul's destructive power. But I did not roar as this power flooded through me, not even as it overflowed into this cyclone of devastation. My expression never strained, my muscles never spasmed. And calmly, elegantly, my wings spread from my back. They rose, straightening and forming a wide V from my shoulder blades.

 **Cherub  
cher·ub **  
**/ˈCHerəb/**

 **In the Book of Ezekiel, the cherub is depicted as having two pairs of wings, and four faces.**

Another wave of heat exploded from me, racing over the courtyard. Windows shattered when it struck them. Flower beds wilted, dried, and began to ignite. From my mid-back, on either side of the Deltarune that was engraved in my flesh, skin began to part. From inside beautiful onyx feathers sprouted, spreading and growing quickly. With chilling grace two more wings of ink spread from my back, straightening and flexing their entire wingspan. While my first and uppermost pair of wings pointed up in a V, my new lowermost pair pointed downward in an upside down V. This made all four wings loom behind me in a perfectly symmetrical X.

 **On the back of the head, an Eagle.**

Behind me my crimson power swirled and shaped. It formed a feathered pattern. Then, a curved, sharp ethereal beak formed on these feathers, giving them depth and detail. Finally, two piercing eyes opened wide, looking out to the world around me for the very first time. Those eyes saw all. Guilty, innocent, everything in between.

 **On the left side, an Ox.**

To the left of my scarlet tower, more energy began to take shape. Two long, curved horns jutted into the air, reaching hellacious points. From below those horns, a sturdy face took shape. It had deep features, as though it was carved from stone. Its nostrils flared threateningly, and burning eyes snapped open wide, staring straight and seeing nothing but red.

 **On the right, a Lion.**

To the right of my soul's cyclone, a proud mane was carved from ruby. A short snout jutted out from within this mane, lined with razor sharp fangs. Cold, wise eyes opened on the face of this beast. They stared ahead without rage but with judgement, and not once did those gemstone eyes blink. It was the face of a king, all knowing.

 **And on the front, a Man.**

Directly ahead of me, one last face was taking its form. Strands of thick hair fell over a forehead that had one nasty, spherical scar at its center. It was like a divot, filled in with uneven, overlapping flesh. A sharp jawline was shaped in DETERMINATION, before being detailed with burning red facial hair. A goatee grew in around cracked lips, just under a sharp nose. Finally, crimson eyes snapped open wide, and in them a thousand emotions swirled violently. Joy and sorrow and love and hate and forgiveness and rage and envy and pride. These emotions formed a Killer cocktail, and coupled with the wicked grin those lips were curling up into, made this look to be the face of a madman.

 **The Cherubim are described in biblical tradition as attendants to God, and regarded in traditional Christian angelology as an angel of the second highest order in the Ninefold Celestial Hierarchy.**

And then, these four faces opened their maws, and intensity flared in their differing eyes. From the Eagle's beak, a horrifying screech pierced through every heart in earshot. From the Ox's nostrils a loud, threatening huff was followed by a deep, rumbling groan that quaked in the body of all who heard it. From the Lion's maw a thundering roar resounded, crashing through the minds of any who perceived it.

 **Some have regarded the Cherubim as symbols of the chief ruling power by which God carries out his operations in providence (Psalm 18:10).**

The face of Man let his jaws snap apart, and from within, hysterical laughter rained. Cruel cackling blasted across the courtyard, staining the soul of every poor fool who was forced to listen. The DETERMINED red eyes of Man darted to and fro as it laughed, but none returned its gaze. None but Clifford The BRAVE, who kept his fists up, unblinking orange eyes committing blasphemy in the name of his own ruler.

 **Others interpret them as having reference to the redemption of men, symbolizing the great rulers or ministers of the church.**

And then, things grew quieter and quieter. The ocean of red that was blasting like a geyser around my body began to recede, power being sucked back into my burning soul. The scarlet hue that had engulfed the entire world began to dim as the Four Faces shifted and swirled, losing their shape and draining back into the geyser of my power. Soon after they disappeared, the towering light of my soul was absorbed back into my chest, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake.

 **Lucifer, who through his sin turned himself into the devil...**

Gradually, I lowered my arms from their positions raised at my sides. Around me, twinkling shards of green fell like snow from the KIND dome my DETERMINATION had shattered. Red lightning crackled occasionally across my skin, and as I rose my head once more, a gust of wind pulled gently at my bangs, moving them out of the way and revealing my eyes. The emerald hue of my irises had been washed away, leaving nothing but two sharp, ice cold rubies.

 _ **Was a Cherub.**_

The music faded out. The world held its breath. Earth's heart skipped a beat. Everything was completely silent. My blood red eyes were locked on Cliff; the only one BRAVE enough to stay on his feet under the pressure my soul was exerting. I drew in a deep breath through my nose, and when I exhaled in the same manner, scarlet mist trickled up from my nostrils. Then, I lifted one foot, and calmly began to take steps towards Cliff.

"... So this is what you were hiding." Cliff finally spoke into the noiseless void, lowering his stance slightly. His BRAVE aura crackled to life over his body, and his sharp eyes narrowed. "Bring it on then! I will never lose!"

I blinked calmly, continuing to put one foot in front of the other. Without haste and without hesitation I was closing the distance between him and I. My lips never parted to speak, my fists never clenched. Behind me my wings remained spread and displayed, veins of scarlet light glimmering through their dark feathers.

"Weren't you listening before?! I am The Gatherer's Unbreakable Shield!" Cliff smashed his foot down onto the stone beneath him, sending cracks spiderwebbing through it as his aura flared brightly. He beat his chest twice with one fist to prove his point, baring his fangs and lamenting his beliefs. "I will never lose! Not until I run out of blood to spill! Not until-!"

I lifted my left hand as he spoke, pointing my index finger at him. I marked him, acknowledged him as my target, as my foe. And the moment my sights laid upon him, my upper left wing bent, stretching as breakneck speeds and coiling into a drill shape. Instantly the distance between myself and Clifford the BRAVE was closed, and my wing shredded through his sternum. It blasted out through the back of his chest, ink now the only thing filling the gaping hole in his body.

Cliff's orange eyes snapped open wide, and his aura disappeared from his body. His expression contorted with agony just before his jaws snapped open, a pint of blood blasting up past his lips and spewing out over his shirt. I flipped my hand so that my palm was facing upwards, and I curled that extended index finger back towards myself. With that order, my wing tore back out through the hole it had made in Cliff's sternum. This sudden yank made scarlet rivers snort out from Cliff's nose, and his arms fell limp at his sides. The force of my coiled wing removing itself from his flesh tugged him, making him stumble forward a few steps on spaghetti legs.

"... Not until your soul is torn from your chest." I finally spoke, my voice calm. My tone was without rage and without remorse. The wing I had hole punched him with returned to its feathery state, bending down over my shoulder and revealing to me the BRAVE soul it had torn from his chest. I held out my left hand, letting Cliff's soul float just above my palm. It's bright orange light reflected in my unfeeling red eyes, which still never left the bewildered warrior before me. "Not until it is crushed before your eyes."

"I was listening." I assured him, and my expression never changed in the slightest. My hand snapped into a closed fist around his soul, a burst of red power cracking the ground beneath me as I crushed his soul before his eyes.

SHATTER.

Cliff's wide eyes relaxed. The orange in them dulled. His knees buckled and his legs gave out, sending his heavy body racing down to the ground. He hit the floor face first, so hard that he bounced once. Then he never moved again. His body laid there, cheek split against the stone. His dull orange eyes stared at nothing and perceived nothing. Beneath him, blood flowed like water, growing into a large puddle and staining his colorless flesh.

And then, for just a second, everything was quiet again. Until somebody screamed.

"CLIFFORD!" Eden shouted at the top of her lungs, tears overflowing down her cheeks and fogging her glasses. In her anguish she found the strength to push herself to her feet, and as fast as she could she sprinted to his side. She dropped right to her knees when she reached Clifford's corpse, shaking her head rapidly. Her trembling hands paused over his body, tear filled eyes staring into the ink stained, gaping hole in his back.

I didn't say anything. I just started walking forward. She screamed and cried, pleaded with him to get up. Hysterically she shook his heavy body as I got closer and closer, before inevitably she folded over him, wrapping her frail arms around his massive frame and clinging to him desperately. All the while my footsteps got louder and louder, drawing near.

"Bastard. Bastard! BASTARD!" Mad Mew Mew exploded from the fountain, lunging high into the air. She dropped quickly down towards me, roaring furiously and pointing her scepter down at me. My uppermost right wing curled over my face as she blasted white orbs of plasma down towards me, and her attacks shattered feebly on my holy wing.

"I'm gonna ki- AGH!" Mad Mew Mew swung her scepter at me as she fell into range, but my wing easily brushed it aside. With her weapon out of the way, my left hand darted up, fingers wrapping tight around her face and muffling her furious shouts. Those shouts changed tune in the next second though, my fingers tightening and beginning to steam.

My palm glowed with heat, and Mew Mew wrapped her hands around my wrist, desperately trying to break free of my iron grip. I just stared up at her, unblinking as she began to scream with agony, smoke rising from her plastic and fabric head. The fire of my DETERMINATION burned her, maimed her and scorched her face.

Once I was satisfied with my divine punishment, I whipped my arm to the side, and in the blink of an eye Mew Mew's body shattered through the wall of the Strategy Hall across the courtyard. Her now disfigured face disappeared into the smoke, and so did her pathetic cries.

"You! You're a monster!" Eden screamed up at me, catching my attention. I lowered my scarlet eyes to look through her. She had tears and some snot dripping down her face, her arms holding Cliff's body in her lap. Still she bit up at me, anguish and indignation fueling her barbed words. "You're not an Angel! You're a freak! An abomination!"

"I don't care what everyone says about you! I don't care how strong you are!" Eden shouted and shouted, lifting one hand from Cliff's body. She opened her palm, and her notebook appeared from her inventory. Rapidly it flipped through pages, her eyes glowing bright violet under the threat of my red. Her voice cracked and broke, but still she yelled through the lump in her throat. "You're just the bastard who _hurt my brother!"_

My lower right wing moved quickly, snapping out and wrapping itself around Eden's throat. This choked out whatever magic words she had planned on saying, and terror entered her indignant eyes as I yanked her up into the air. Choking and sputtering, she clawed desperately at the airtight ink around her neck, throwing her head back and forth. Her hair flung around and stuck to the tear stains on her face, and her glasses fell off of her nose, landing on the notebook that she'd dropped onto Cliff's back.

Her wide, bloodshot eyes stared down at me, vibrating with horror. Her face was starting to match her eyes, and feebly she kicked her legs. Calmly I lifted my right fist, never breaking eye contact with her, even as I blasted a lightning quick jab into her abdomen. Cracks and snaps echoed out of her small frame, and her pupils shrunk with agony. Her entire body stiffened, and then went limp. Her head fell forward, eyes closing.

After knocking her out, I tossed Eden aside like worthless garbage. She flung back through the air, before hitting the ground and rolling for another dozen yards. Finally, she slammed back first into the wall of the Science and Research Center, coming to an immediate stop. Dark brown strands fell limp over her unconscious expression, and crimson streams trickled from the corner of her mouth and the both of her nostrils.

"..." I turned my head, slowly scanning the surrounding area with my ruby orbs. Nearby, The Fun Gang huddled together. Susie held her ax out in front of the other two, glaring up at me like she was afraid I was going to rip Ralsei and Kris away from her. Further away to my right, GB!Sans froze in my gaze. He crouched low to the ground, never blinking as he made eye contact with me. It seemed he thought I would strike if he did. I looked away from him, turned my eyes directly ahead. At the other end of the courtyard, Fell!Grillby stood protectively in front of Swap!Muffet, who held an unconscious Melanie close to her chest, mustering her own protective glare. "... Anybody else?"

Nobody responded. Nobody moved. So, I opened my mouth to speak again. But, before any words came, the clacking of a slow, skeletal clap came from behind me.

Instantly my upper set of wings shot back, straightening like scissors and and stopping right around the neck of one tall doctor with a crescent smile.

"Whoa!" The Gaster threw his hand into the air, and behind him several more hands appeared in the same defensive position. My wing scissors paused, poised to decapitate him at any given moment.

I turned slightly, one piercing red eye staring through him from over my shoulder. With the weight of my gaze sure to keep him in place, I spoke. "... Who are you?"

"I am The Anarchist's personal assistant, affectionately nicknamed by my adversaries as 'Badster'." Madness flickered in those cracked eyes, like this skeleton was excited to be centimeters from a beheading. His floating hands used air quotes when he gave his nickname. "I've come to offer you my services, my dear boy!"

"... You're Anarchy's assistant, huh?" My eyes narrowed incredulously, a thin stream of red smoke trickling up from the corner of my mouth. I was skeptical; Anarchy wasn't the type to keep goons. That was Gatherer's bit. Then again, I guessed somebody had to be his guide to each of the timelines he devastated.

"Yes indeed! I would bow to be polite, but uhm..." Those hands that had been raised around his head defensively and/or making air quotes pointed their digits down at the wings parted around his head.

"..." Slowly, my wings retracted from around his neck, returning to their normal length and placement. I turned around to face Badster as he folded one hand over his chest, bowing to me. I didn't have time for pleasantries though, and got right to the point. "What do you want?"

"It is not what I want but what Anarchy wants." Badster straightened his back, those hands disappearing from around his head while he folded his arms behind his back. His smile never wavered, in fact it grew. "I'm sure you've heard; he's very eager to reunite with you."

"... Yeah. Feeling's mutual." My hands clenched into tight fists at my sides, my eyes narrowing with reserved wrath. DETERMINATION crackled lightly over me for a moment, generating from the burning red heart on my chest. "You got a way to get me to him?"

"Just take my hand, Angel." Shadows slipping over his face, Badster's grin curled deeper into his skull. He reached out towards me with one long arm, his phalanges waving excitedly. "I can lead you right to your Reunion in no time at all."

"..." I stared at that hand for a few long seconds, before stepping forward. I walked the few feet that were between us, before lifting my hand to his. My eyes darted back into his sockets however, and they narrowed threateningly. "If you try to screw me, I'll obliterate you."

Badster howled with laughter at that, holding his free hand over his stomach as I took his other hand. I didn't care for being laughed at though, so I gave his phalanges a gentle squeeze, and the snap and pop of several bones got his attention.

"E-erg-!" One of Badster's knees buckled, but he managed to shift his weight onto his other leg to stay on his feet. Nervously he smiled, cold sweat emerging on his skull. "S-sorry, my boy, I wasn't laughing at your threat, that was very intimidating- agh!"

"Then what's the joke?" My grip tightened further on Badster's hand, more cracks resounding. This made him cry out once or twice more, hunching so that I was looking down at him. I leaned in, getting right in his face. I could see the light of my crimson eyes reflecting on his porcelain bones.

"H-haha... I-it's nothing, really!" He managed to laugh, jaw clenching with pain and eye wincing as he looked up at me. The sweat on his brow bubbled and steamed from the heat that radiated from my body. But, even as I loomed over him, even as I crushed his hand and my very presence threatened to scorch him, his skull was being shaped by a grin. His brow bones rose, and I wondered if Anarchy had taught him that winning smile.

 **"... You two are just so much alike."**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


	45. Chapter 45: A Real Kick In The Side

**Hey guys, I have great news to accompany this chapter! Wingah has started a sprite comic for DoubleTale: Rewritten on Tumblr/ Imgur. It's doubletaleau on Tumblr; he's already finished the first two chapters and he's working on the third! You guys should totally go check it out, spread it around, leave him nice words of appreciation for his hard work and have a great day after you read (and review pls) this chapter!**

 **Thanks go to 10burgers, Doctah Sawbones, Wingah, Zack Frost Acoolnamme, Fixer140.85, Get vectored, Linki, Chara Moonstone, Jack54311, GrayK, Pokemon122000, Sonic245, and NBoss01.**

 **I'm glad I could be your first story to review Get vectored, I hope you keep enjoying the story and keep being kind enough to leave me feedback! As for Anarchy, I've always liked making nutjob albinos, but his original design and character in the first DoubleTale was pretty much just an Accelerator rip off, yeah. You caught me lol. I hope he seems like a lot more than that in the Rewrite, but I guess that's up to you guys to decide. Enjoy the chapter! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Tak tak tak tak!_

Lightning crackled up the flat stone surface of the mountain wall Chara was running up, hysterical giggling echoing from the snapping obsidian jaws below. As they ran up the 90 degree angle, their ruby eyes darted to the side, spotting the long dark worm that was slithering up beside them.

Their jaw clenched with frustration as it turned its maw towards them, and they flipped their blade around so that its point was facing downward. Just as those fangs drew near, they pulled their sword up, stabbing its fiery red point through the skull of this disgusting creature and killing it instantly.

The corpse of the beast slipped back from the wall, plummeting down to the earth below just as Chara jumped over the peak of the rock wall, flipping up and landing on flat ground. They were at the highest plateau of the mountain now, where they had fought Cter six months prior. They spotted the crater he had put them in with his Beat Dome, but before they could get too nostalgic, a familiar cackling hit their ears.

Chara lunged forward as two more worms coiled up over the curve of the wall, slithering rapidly across the grass towards them. They spun around in air, slashing one of their DETERMINATION swords with their spin back towards the two nightmare creatures. A wave of red fired off their blade, racing through the air at the mindless monsters and cleaving through the two of them horizontally. This sent their separated jaws ragdolling past Chara, limp and spraying disgusting, tainted blood.

 _Well his attacks are certainly unnerving, I'll give him that._ Chara thought calmly, their eyes narrowing at the ledge across from them. Their knees remained bent and they remained on alert, waiting for more giggling and/or gnashing teeth. _Lets see if you're good enough to run up a ninety degree angle, mister 'unstoppable god of destruction'._

But, no giggling worms or chomping jaws came. Instead, Chara naturally recoiled when one Anarchist launched right up over the wall of stone, flinging high into the sky. It seemed as though he had jumped from however many dozen feet below, and was now a few dozen feet above them. That distance was rapidly closing however as he raced down towards them, yanking his crowbar up over his head.

 _... Of course._ Bitterly Chara squinted up at Anarchy as he plummeted down towards them, raising one blade and pulling back the other. They planned to stab a hole right through him with their second blade when they caught his sloppy overhead swing on their first, but this plan fell through the moment he collided with them.

His crowbar slammed what scientists would call a 'metric fuckton' of force down upon Chara's single sword, making their eyelids snap far apart in shock. The ground beneath their feet shattered and exploded up around the two, and they were quick to shift their footing for fear of that weight crashing right through their saber. Tilting their sword, they slid the weight of Anarchy's blow off to their side at the same time that they pulled back their other sword, slashing with lightning speed at his head.

Like a crocodile or some kind of shark The Anarchist's eyes lit up as that glimmering crimson raced towards the side of his head, which instantly swiveled to face this slice head on. In the blink of an eye his jaws snapped open and shut again, and in his teeth he stopped Chara's slash dead. Then, his rabid eyes darted up into their stunned ones, and he yanked one knee up to his chest, blasting his foot into Chara's chest.

This kick propelled Chara back like a rocket, Anarchy letting their sword free from his maw and planting the foot he'd kicked them with in the dirt. He watched them fling through the air, before they flipped back, landing on their feet and skidding back across the plateau. They stabbed the points of their sabers into the earth to slow themself to a stop, before straightening their back. They stood tall there, across from The Bastard Son, watching him without hesitation.

"... Huh. That's weird." Anarchy's furrowed his brows with confusion, looking genuinely curious for a moment. But then, his face split into a wicked sneer, and he straightened his crowbar out to his side. "There's usually a _crunch_ when I kick people."

"Maybe kick like less of a pussy next time." Chara stung much like the stinging pain in their abdomen, slowly whittling away as their DETERMINATION healed whatever bones had been bruised.

"Ooh! A sturdy punching bag _and_ a smartass!" Anarchy's eyes lit up as well as his grin. His soul flared on his chest, and a gust of red tinted winds blasted out from around him, causing an updraft that lifted his hair.

"You might be worth my time after all!"

 **Chapter 45: A Real Kick In The Side**

 _"Just needed to provoke you to fight me with your best, is all."_

* * *

 _Malevolence_ by _SharaX_ began playing.

Red wings flaring out from their back, Chara launched forward, rapidly closing the distance between the two of them. They ran low to the ground, and as two worms wriggled out from Anarchy's shadow, they crossed their blades over their shoulders. When those gnashing teeth fired by Anarchy and towards Chara, the Ascended Heir slashed ahead of themself, swiftly moving their blades from a place over their shoulders to be held out to their sides.

With this quick motion, searing DETERMINATION was slung from their sabers, racing forward and cutting right through those worms, scorching their cold and slimy bodies all the way through. These scarlet slashes continued forward to a giddy Anarchist, who yanked his crowbar back as the strike got in close, before swinging right into the crackling power with his Inheritance. This collision of his will vs. Chara's sent an explosion of red force that kicked up dust around The Anarchist, obscuring him from view.

Fearlessly Chara charged ahead, lunging into the smoke knee first. With a crack their strike landed clean, and one albino was sent stumbling back from the dust plume, head tilted back and nose snapped to the side. Chara landed in front of him, skidding forward and spinning before slamming their heel into his abdomen with a hellacious roundhouse kick, the force of which sent him sliding on the balls of his feet back across the dirt.

" _That's_ how you kick somebody." Chara informed him with a slight smirk, planting their feet and straightening their swords to their sides.

"E-ehe... Heheheh..." Anarchy leaned forward, hands wrapped around his face. He had stopped his backwards sliding, and now he just hunched there, crimson ichor dripping from between his fingers. But then, a mist of a similar shade leaked out, curling up around his face. He lowered his blood stained fingers and lifted his face some to reveal a nose no longer broken, his carnivorous eyes locking back on Chara. Slowly, his long, reptilian tongue snaked out of his mouth, slithering over his red soaked palm and ingesting his own blood. "Interesting."

On Anarchy's tailbone, something bubbled and squirmed below the surface. His skin shifted and wriggled, before suddenly popping open, sending blood flicking out across the dirt. Chara flinched some, disgust clear in their eyes as they watched a dark, chitinous appendage slowly curl up over Anarchy's hunched back. This segmented tail curved and came to a bulb with one hook-like stinger at its end, and when Chara squinted they were sure they could see vantablack liquid trickling down its point like some vile venom.

Lips curling up despite the blood that now stained them, a red flare burst to life over Anarchy's left eye, and he rested his red dipped hand on his cheek. In his other hand he casually held out his crowbar, and over his head his scorpion stinger loomed threateningly.

 _"Can you teach me more?"_

Chara growled, ducking to the side and letting that stinger jab right over their shoulder. It extended endlessly, until finally it skewered a boulder. Then, it rapidly retracted with that boulder in tow, yanking the massive rock towards Chara's back. They looked quickly over their shoulder, spotting this bone shattering assault on its way and promptly jumping into the air, letting the stone sail by under them and right towards Anarchy.

The Anarchist's stinger planted the boulder right into the earth with stunning power the moment Chara dodged it, crushing it halfway into the dirt. Like a grappling hook his tail pulled him forward, and he flipped while he flung, throwing himself foot first up into the sky after Chara while the point of his stinger detached from the stone.

Chara's wings beat, and they turned at the last second, letting Anarchy soar by them. As he passed and his venomous stinger passed with him, the point struck out at Chara, who was quick to swing their blade into its side as it approached. It surprised them some when their saber clanged against the chitin of this tail instead of just slicing through it, but nonetheless the poison was deflected.

Anarchy continued on his arch across the sky, before spinning around to face Chara as he crashed back first into the side of a stony peak, recklessly cracking the rock and putting an Anarchy shaped dent in the flat surface. Chara watched as shadow quickly spread from where his back had hit the sedimentary, painting the wall like pitch paint and forming a perfect circle around him.

The Anarchist smiled wickedly as his darkness bubbled and popped and boiled, before almost instantly those gnawing worms exploded free from this onyx circle, racing through the air at alarming speeds towards Chara. The Ascended Heir was quick to cut through the skull of the first beast to get in range, but when two more cackling maws curled out from around the first one's body before it could even drop, Chara was forced to beat their wings, launching themself higher into the sky.

Rapidly they ascended, a dozen worms in pursuit. Their eyes darted between each foe that closed in, and they moved their hand swiftly as the one reaching up on their right snapped its jaws at them. Instantly they severed its head from its serpentine body, sending it plummeting back towards the earth. But in its place several other obsidian horrors rose, forcing Chara to flap their wings with extra force and throw themself higher into the sky.

As they reached above these beasts with their superior speed, they turned down to face the rising tide of monstrosities. Quickly they brought both blades up over their head, and red lightning crackled along the DETERMINED steel just before they slashed downward. From their sabers scarlet slices crashed down, launching through the air and plummeting right into the rising ranks of The Anarchist's freakish legion. The light of Chara's soul split the darkness of Anarchy's, slashing apart these beasts and dragging their mangled corpses down to the earth below.

But, before Chara could breath a sigh of relief, a shadow fell over them, and instantly they turned around to spot whatever horror could block out the sun. A massive worm had risen there, looming larger than all the others and casting its darkness down onto the crimson hue of The Ascended Heir. Unafraid, Chara ground their teeth, spinning around to face this creature as it lurched down towards them.

Their wings beat, and they fired forward under the jaw of this beast, pulling their left blade over their right shoulder. Bright red right eye flaring with power, the scarlet steel of their blade flamed and grew, doubling in length in an instant. In the next instant, they slashed through the hungry throat of this bloodthirsty beast, sending tainted black blood spilling out over its body while its head - spurting obsidian ichor from its neck hole - plummeted down behind them.

Chara turned to watch the skull of this monster plummet from the sky, brows furrowing with disgust at the smile that still curled its maw even in death. Their blade returned to its original length, now matching its sister saber. They were so distracted by this gross display that they noticed all too late that the body of this creature had not fallen.

"SURPRISE!"

Chara nearly gasped, spinning around to spot Anarchy jumping right from the bleeding neck of his terrible darkness, its blood running in streams over his ivory flesh. Instantly he was upon Chara, yanking that crowbar back. They had turned their head around just in time to catch the filthy metal on their chin, and pain exploded through their face as teeth were launched from their shattering jaw. The power of the impact was enough to mutilate their face and send them blasting in a corkscrew down towards the earth, wings flailing limply in the air.

They crashed against the dirt, dust kicking up behind them as they carved a ravine right through the plateau. When they came to a stop, they were face down in the mud, arms sprawled out at their sides. They'd kept a grip on each of their swords however, and as they slowly pushed themself up onto their hands and knees, they were very thankful for that.

 _Fuck he hits hard..._ Chara found themself thinking, rubbing their wrist over their chin to wipe away some of the blood. Red mist was quickly sealing up their face and putting teeth back where they needed to be, healing the damage Anarchy had done with a single strike. _But that's fine. I've come back from worse. I can handle this. I have to handle this._

On that note, Chara sprung forward off their hands, swiftly dodging the albino crashing down from above, who landed with a brutal double stomp that shattered earth into a circular crater around him in an instant. He dove out of this crater in the next second, just as Chara stuck the landing on stable ground. As he lunged at their back, they back flipped over him, swiftly yanking both blades back and slashing them in a pincer motion at the Anarchist's back. Unfortunately, all they managed to do was catch the stinger of his tail as it stabbed back at them.

The two stood there for a split second, Anarchy's head snapping back with unnatural quickness to peer through Chara. Then, he spun on his heel, simultaneously yanking his stinger free from the cross of Chara's blades and swiping back at them with his crowbar. With lightning quickness Chara ducked under the crushing swing of Anarchy's Inheritance, grunting furiously as they stabbed the point of each of their blades up through each of his shoulders, crossing them in an X behind his shoulder blades after they shot out his back.

The shredding of his shoulders' muscles made Anarchy's arms fall limp, but that didn't wipe the smile from his face. Quickly he lurched forward, not so much as flinching as he pushed his body down that burning metal, shoving his shoulders down to the hilts of Chara's blade in an instant. This made their eyes widen while they recoiled, but the tail that curled behind them was like a stone wall, and it kept them in range of Anarchy's jaws.

"AGH!" They cried out with pain as those berserker fangs sunk into their shoulder. Bone crunched under The Anarchist's monstrous bite force, and a mad hunger filled his eyes when their blood poured over his tongue. He didn't stop there however, ripping his head back and forth and ripping deeper into their flesh. He was a rabid animal, shredding through muscle and bone. Chara could already feel that arm going limp, it would be worthless until they could get Anarchy off them and let their DETERMINATION heal it.

But the body their blades were trapped in was like stone, torn muscles still finding the will to clench tight around the swords they'd drove through him. As their mind searched for answers, their jaw clenched in pain, feeling Anarchy's jaws dig further through their shoulder. It wouldn't be long until he severed that arm entirely.

Sever.

Suddenly, the red light of their knives disappeared, immediately freeing both weapons from where they were trapped in Anarchy's body. Their right arm dropped limp, but their left lifted its steel right under The Anarchist's chin before he got the chance to pull his fangs from their mutilated shoulder. Then, with a red flash, their blade reignited, instantly blasting up through the throat of The Bastard Son.

Anarchy's head was parted from his shoulders in an instant, remaining latched on lifelessly to Chara's right shoulder as the rest of his body dropped flat on its back with a dull _thud_. As soon as his tail no longer blocked their path, Chara jumped back, putting a few yards between themself and the corpse.

"... Chew on that, douchebag..." Chara panted as they wrapped their fingers around the back of the severed head that latched on to the steaming flesh of their ruined right arm. Barely wincing, they yanked Anarchy's decapitated skull off them, tossing it over to the unmoving body it came from.

Their eyes narrowed though as they placed a hand over their steaming shoulder, their right sleeve slipping off their arm as their wounds quickly healed themselves. They had chopped Anarchy's head clean off, and yet his soul still burned bright as ever on his chest, not the least bit bothered. It did not rise, it did not tremble, it certainly did not crack.

Then, suddenly, The Anarchist's arms lifted straight up so quickly that Chara flinched. Their teeth grit with frustration and anxiety, watching those arms curl back and rest their hands on the ground behind his their shoulders. Then, the rest of Anarchy's body kicked up, flipping back over those hands and landing perfectly on its feet.

"You're kidding." Chara spoke more to themself than anyone, disbelief in their voice. They regained feeling in their right hand's fingers, which tightened around their right hand's knife. They held this second blade out to their side, and with a crackle of their electric aura, the fiery red of that blade burst to life. Their wide and disturbed eyes never left Anarchy's body, which was stumbling back and forth now. Its arms lifted straight up, letting his crowbar drop back down his sleeve before it began patting around the bloody stump on its shoulders like some freaky cartoon character searching for its head.

Then, the gash on those shoulders began to bubble and steam. Flesh grew and shaped in a display that Chara could only describe as sickening, and as Anarchy's throat reformed, vocal cords began to vibrate loudly. But, with no mouth yet to voice those screams, they were muffled in flesh. Anarchy's fingers dug into this bubbling mass of viscera, as if he were really trying to _pull_ another head out of his shoulders. More horrific than that was that, though creation never _should_ work in such a way, it seemed he was willing it so.

His neck bulged out in a nauseating manner, and his fingers dug thoughtlessly through the bubbling wound atop his throat until finally they wrapped around tresses of white hair stained with scarlet. From there, his hands began to pull, and Chara felt their lunch trying to creep back up their esophagus as that massive bulb in Anarchy's throat shifted and twitched. Flesh snapped like elastic, and then something gave.

With bone chilling crunches and slurps, those calloused hands pulled roughly, and Anarchy ripped a replacement head out from his shoulders. Blood flung from his soaked hair, and the eyes of his crimson mask snapped open, blinking once or twice. The first thing he did was gasp loudly, throwing his ruby dripping hands out to his sides while a grin curled his red painted face. "AAAAHHH! Born again!

Lightning struck in an instant, Chara using their superior speed to cross the distance and slam their boot so deep in his gut that his back bulged out. Then, after a split second where it seemed everything paused, the force carried through, and Anarchy was sent launching back through the air. He soared through over the earth, his body curved like a C before he hit the ground. He bounced, flipped and skidded over the dirt, kicking up brown smog and grass chunks before eventually landing on two feet and both hands. He skidded rapidly, his powerful fingers digging ten lines through the dirt and the toes of his shoes adding two more, wider skids in the mud.

Narrowing their eyes with chilling precision, Chara bent their knees, before firing forward. They were electric, crackling across the ground faster than the eye could see. They zig zagged before diving in a speedy drop kick towards Anarchy, who threw his body up like a rag doll, lifting his forearm. Just before Chara's kick connected, a sapphire shield appeared between their foot and The Anarchist's forearm, unshaking as it took the full force of their 90 mile an hour kick.

Anarchy didn't budge, and Chara was quick to push off from his shield, back flipping off of it and landing a few feet from Anarchy, crouched and spring loaded. Their ruby eyes squinted at the symbol that marked The Anarchist's shield, and they scowled. The Deltarune, adorning a freak like him? It disgusted them.

"You don't deserve that shield." Chara spoke as they straightened their back, standing to their full height. They lifted their crackling sabers, crossing them out in front of them. Then, their aura flared, red light jumping around them and lifting their hair gently in an updraft.

"... Buddy..." Chara's words curved Anarchy's grin into a frown surprisingly quick, and as he lifted his shield over his chest, the manic glee faded from his eyes. In its place was darkness, a predatory shade unhesitating to kill. His other hand was held out to his side, and his crowbar slide from his sleeve down into his grip. Then, his jaw clenched, and a scorching red flame ignited over his left eye with his furious expression. "You don't know what I had to sacrifice to _get_ this shield."

"Let me guess." Chara bent their knees some, eyes narrowing venomously as they prepared to strike. "Somebody had to die."

Anarchy smiled at that, flicking his crowbar out to the side. Along the metal those dirty little black maggots crawled, writhing in their filth. They squirmed along his fingers, and he welcomed them with ease and comfort. "Three somebodies, actually."

On that note, Anarchy's tail launched over his head, curling down and stabbing at Chara, who jumped over it, letting its poison jab into the dirt. They spun like a drill in air, pulling both blades out to their side as they picked up momentum. Ruby voltage jumped between their swords, before they hacked into the steel like chitin of The Anarchist's tail. Their teeth ground with exertion, forcing their sabers through Anarchy's stinger like butter knives through a steel beam.

With a primal roar Chara's DETERMINATION flared, and the fires of their soul exploded out from their blades, super heating them. With this extra power they finished carving through The Scorpion's tail, dropping from the air and onto one knee as the stinger dropped to the earth, writhing and flopping like a headless chicken. The remaining half of the tail slipped almost instantly back into The Anarchist's tail bone, as though it had a mind of its own.

Chara wasted no time, jumping from their knee and lunging out at Anarchy, stabbing at him with both of their burning points. With terrible force he batted their strike aside with his shield however, Chara's eyes widening as their upper body was sent spinning to the left. They thought quickly, jumping and moving with the force of Anarchy's blow to swing their leg at his head.

Instantly Anarchy lifted the arm that lacked a shield, catching their shin on his forearm. His fingers on that hand released his crowbar, and he coiled his arm around Chara's leg, gripping their knee harshly to ensure they would not escape. As his shield bearing arm caught his crowbar before it could hit the ground, he turned sharply, yanking Chara by the leg right over his head. Brutally he whipped them right down to his feet, smashing them into the unforgiving earth and sending cracks shattering across the ground from Chara's impact.

Chara's eyes went wide, feeling the wind blasting up from their lungs and out of their gaping maw from their hellacious impact. But, as their body bounced back up from the person shaped divot they had created, they moved fast, reaching back and pressing their knuckles to the ground behind them. As Anarchy yanked his crowbar - now in his left and nonshieldbearing hand again - over his head, Chara flipped back up onto their hands and one knee, just barely faster than the crowbar that cracked into the earth where they'd just been.

Swiftly they lunged upwards, Anarchy leaning over before them after his swing. They smashed their knee into his jaw, throwing his head back and sending him stumbling back a few steps as they landed on their feet in front of him. While he recoiled, Chara darted forward once more, yanking one saber back and stabbing right for his face.

Anarchy moved fast however, tilting his head to the side and letting their sword slice just by his cheek, removing a few white strands from his mane of hair. Then he swung his head forward, Chara's eyes widening as he crashed his skull into theirs and made them recoil. Stomping forward, Anarchy then yanked up his knee while Chara's face was still scrunched with pain, slamming it into their chin and throwing their head back. The force was so great that it lifted them from their feet, and while they were suspended in air, Anarchy pulled his crowbar as far back as he could.

With maximum torque he smashed the cruel steel of his Inheritance into Chara's abdomen, and that made their eyes snap wide open. Bones shattered loudly, and they were sent blasting back through the air, body taking on a C's shape as they folded around their crushed rib cage. Their eyes were momentarily entirely white, and from their agape mouth blood spewed up, jetting through the air.

Finally, they smacked back first into a boulder, head whiplashing back and cracking the stone with the back of their skull. Momentarily they folded, sputtering and resting one hand over their healing abdomen. As they coughed and puked more red onto their shirt, hair drooped over their face, shadowing their eyes.

Anarchy didn't waste this opportunity, yanking his shield bearing arm back before whipping it forward. From his arm his shield flung, spinning like a saw through the air towards Chara's head. But, when the sound of it slicing through the air reached their ears, one of Chara's pained eyes darted up, spotting the shield rapidly closing the distance.

Instantly they lurched to the side, letting the sharp edge of Anarchy's shield crash into the boulder they were leaned against, sticking right into the stone and stopping dead. Chara's eyes darted to where the shield was stuck, assessed that it would have decapitated them if they hadn't ducked, and then turned their glare to The Anarchist.

Chara's soul flared, and they planted their foot, pushing from it right into a dead sprint towards Anarchy. Electricity crackled along their body, and their right eye flared bright. With one hand on their still aching abdomen, they shut the distance between the two in the blink of an eye, lunging at a surprised Anarchist and pulling back their red shining knife with a primal roar.

Satisfaction appeared on Chara's face, twinkled in their eyes when they watched their blade stab right through the center of Anarchy's face, splitting his nose down the middle and opening the space between his beady eyes. The saber pushed out the back of his head, blood steaming from its piping hot blade.

Anarchy's eyes rolled out of sink with one another as his body almost seemed to go limp, leaning back. But then, those eyes snapped right back into focus, making Chara recoil as the ruby of Anarchy's orbs locked on to them. Then, Anarchy planted his feet, catching himself. His arms lunged out like pincers, snapping in a vice grip around Chara's extended arm before they got the chance to pull away.

SNAP!

"AUGH!" Chara shouted with agony as he snapped their arm down like cheap plastic, reversing its shape into some unfortunate boomerang and making them let go of the blade they had buried in his skull. Then, he spun, dragging them by their shattered limb in a 360 and yeeting them back from once they came with breakneck speed.

Chara shot back across the plain, holding their arm close to their core while they glared painfully back at the man who threw them. But, before they could impact that boulder brutally again, they flipped in air, landing feet first against the stone. The force of their impact cracked the rock as well as made them wince, forcing them to bend their knees. But then, when the momentum stopped carrying them, they dropped, landing on the shield that had been planted below them on the rock and breaking it free before they landed flat on their face.

With the energy having left Chara's weapon, it returned to a knife sticking in Anarchy's face. He reached up, blood dripping down in two thick streams along his cheeks from the massive gash. He wrapped his ivory fingers around the knife's handle, and his eyes rolled back like he was scratching an itch as he slowly slipped the steel back out from his face. Once the metal was out of his brain, he shivered violently for a second or two, his nervous system readjusting and the wound that split his head sealing in a few short moments.

"BrrRRrrRRRrrrRR!" Anarchy exclaimed with flappy lips as he finished his shaking. Then, he blinked his eyes wide a few times, his pupils dilating. "WOO!"

"Nice shot, sidekick." Anarchy complimented as he held Chara's knife out to his side, his eyes glossing back to them. They were just getting up to their knees, panting lightly as they glared at him. The furious fight in their eyes made Anarchy grin, and his fingers tightened around Chara's knife, flaring with red energy. Suddenly, crimson light blasted back up the blood stained steel, Anarchy's own DETERMINATION forming a scarlet saber. It was coiled however, wrong and uneven in its shape. Its edges were jagged, and it came to a sharp point. "I really felt that one. You should be proud."

"Fuck... You..." Chara spat, wincing as they snapped their arm back into its correct shape. Gradually they climbed to their feet, healing crimson flames crackling along their elbow as well as their abdomen. They were still healing but it was getting slower. They worried for how many more times they'd be able to defy death for a split second, before growling to themself. They'd just have to stop getting hit, then.

 _"_ _You're stronger than me, Chara."_

 _If I can't stop him, nobody can..!_ Chara ground their teeth, holding their one remaining blade out to their side. At their feet Anarchy's shield rested, and they stomped on its edge, sending it flipping up into the air and catching it on the arm of their free hand. _Which means he **can't**_ _get by me. I **have** to win. _

Anarchy's eyes narrowed, watching them wear his shield. They lowered their stance, holding their defense in front of them and pointing their blade over top of it. Anarchy's grin once more deepened into a frown, and he rose his crowbar to one side and his twisted saber to the other. Then, instantly, the ground beneath him shattered, and he launched himself forward, pulling his Inheritance up over his head and clubbing down at Chara the moment he reached them.

They clenched their jaw, lifting that shield and stopping Anarchy's crowbar against the unbreakable sapphire. The ground tremored beneath their feet as the force carried through, but they refused to budge, shoving Anarchy's crowbar off to the side with his shield and jabbing their blade right for his head again. Anarchy swung his gnarled sword upwards however, knocking their stab straight up. From there he pulled the spike of this malformed weapon back, stabbing for Chara's chest.

But Chara shifted their footing, dodging the stab and spinning around, gaining momentum quickly before bashing that shield into the face of The Anarchist and making him recoil. Blood spurted from his broken nostrils and his face reflexively scrunched, giving Chara the opportunity to stomp forward and drive their blade right through his sternum.

The searing energy of their sword drove clean in Anarchy's front and out his back, forcing more scarlet streams to spew up from between his grinding teeth and spatter down his chin. Having learned their lesson from previous stabs however, Chara immediately yanked their blade back out from Anarchy's chest, flecking red in a line across the ground and making him stumble back a step. Next Chara jumped into the air and pulled both knees to their chest, following up with a shotgun dropkick right into Anarchy's bleeding chest.

The force of that kick sent Anarchy flinging back a few yards, but he flipped in air, his chest resealing by the time he landed on his feet. Without hesitation he yanked back his gnarly blade of his DETERMINATION, snarling as he shitwhipped it overhand at Chara. The Ascended Heir cocked back their shield arm at the same time, launching the sapphire guard in the same manner Anarchy had thrown it earlier back towards him.

Chara ducked to the side, reaching up with their spare hand as that javelin drove through the air over their shoulder and catching it by its handle. At the same time Anarchy threw his fist out, effortlessly slinging that shield right back onto his arm despite the velocity with which it had been racing towards him. And at the same time that he pulled this shield back towards himself and pointed his crowbar out towards Chara, their DETERMINATION shattered the taint from the saber they had just gotten back, returning it to its original form and making it identical to their other sword.

Just as Anarchy lunged forward at Chara, their knees bent, and with a pulse of electricity, they darted away, Anarchy's crowbar crashing through nothing but dirt. His eyes lifted with some confusion, just barely catching the Ascended Heir darting with lightning speed all around him. They circled, zigged and zagged, never standing still long enough for an image to be made out. Then, suddenly, they struck another drop kick into his back.

The force of this kick made The Anarchist snarl, being forced to stumble forward a few feet. But, by the time he swiped his crowbar back where the strike had came from, his attacker was gone. But the moment his crowbar swinging arm was extended, lightning struck again, and Anarchy's eyes widened gleefully. Madness flickering in his tainted ruby orbs, he watched his forearm detach from his body, flinging up into the air. He looked thrilled by the fact that someone was outdoing him, never flinching from the pain of having a limb chopped clean off.

He watched Chara zip by, those joyous eyes darting to and fro to try and catch up with The Ascended Heir. But these efforts proved fruitless when lightning struck a third time, and Anarchy's shield baring arm was separated at the shoulder, Chara launching ahead of him before it even hit the ground. From there, Chara blasted straight at him, slamming their heel right into his jaw with a thunderous kick.

Anarchy was sent firing back through the air along with a few of his teeth, but as he sailed over the earth, he flipped, landing on the balls of his feet and rapidly sliding back through the dirt. His jaws snapped open, blood pouring down the whole bottom half of his face through his broken nose and teeth. Still, he cackled into the lightning storm that cracked ever closer, continuing those fast and confusing patterns. "Neat trick!"

"But I've seen it," Then, suddenly, Anarchy turned, yanking one knee up to his chest. As lightning tried for one more strike, he blasted a kick out into the whipping winds. And with a crash Chara was stunned on his shoe, doubling over and hacking blood through the air. **"** **BEFORE!"**

Chara fired back through the air, eyes clenched shut tight and wings flailing uselessly around them. Anarchy didn't waste any time, flames scorching out over the earth beneath him before he suddenly launched himself forward, racing right after Chara. He yanked back what stub remained of one of his arms, and a scarlet fire ignited over the blood gushing wound. Then, almost instantly, bone shot from the stump, coiling with sickening snaps into the shape of an arm. As phalanges formed on a regenerating hand, muscles coiled around the fresh bones, veins pumping fresh blood and bringing this arm to life.

Chara managed to open one eye, and their pupils shrunk with terror as they watched Anarchy pull back this bony, muscle mess of an arm. Thinking fast, they crossed their blades in a guard in front of them, and Anarchy fearlessly threw this new fist forward before skin had even formed over his new knuckles. With a roar, he forced his punch right through Chara's blades, shattering the crimson steel and stunning Chara.

Anarchy's one hand raced right through the flinging shards of Chara's weaponry, grabbing a fistful of their hair and yanking them back. Anarchy pulled Chara into a skull shattering headbutt, and The Ascended Heir's eyes were wide and entirely white as blood spilled down their now split open forehead.

Then, Anarchy landed on his feet, releasing Chara's hair and letting them continue to fling forward, only to snatch them by the ankle before they could get too far. He skidded to a stop with them in two, and this whiplash pause in motion made Chara's limp arms fling back, hands releasing what were now just knives and letting them fling off across the plateau.

Anarchy was cackling, laughing loud as could be as he pulled Chara up over his head, before smashing them back down into the ground. Their all white eyes twitched with pain, mouth hanging open as they were pulled right back up into the air. Anarchy smashed them down to his right this time, then pulled them up again, smashing them into the dirt in front of him. The only thing they heard was his nonstop hysterical laughter as he smashed them up and down, crushing in the ground with their limp body again and again.

"C'MON SIDEKICK! WHERE'D ALL THAT FIGHT GO?!" Anarchy screamed his joy through his giggling, shock waves thundering time and time again as he flung Chara back and forth. His other arm was quickly reforming in the same sickening manner as the first, muscles coiling up the tips of his digits just before skin slipped over them. "I WAS JUST STARTIN' TO LOOSEN UP!"

"Don't! You! Fucking! Die!" Anarchy spoke through his grinding fangs, his blood soaked face twisting in a berserk grin. Finally, he cracked them down into the earth and let go of their ankle, cocking back his opposite fist. The force of his slam bounced Chara right back up, and Anarchy swung his entire body with his punch, smashing his knuckles right into their jaw and sending them firing across the plateau.

Chara hit the ground and rolled, flipping and skidding and ragdolling until finally the friction from the dirt they were shredding across slowed them to a stop. Their wings having receded back into their shoulders, they had stopped sliding right at the edge of Mount Ebbot's crater, earth still scorched from The Angel's wrath. They'd once thought that hole would be their tomb, but now as they were forcing their aching body to its hands and knees, they feared they had been right back then.

Blood trickling down their face from their split forehead, broken nose, and split lip, they managed to turn their head to spot Chaos Incarnate. He sauntered across the plain with slow, deliberate steps. The wind was picking up again, the earth was shivering with fear. Shadows slithered over Anarchy's face, which was still dripping his endless crimson, left over from all the wounds he'd healed in an instant.

In his shifting darkness, The Anarchist was hard to see. Chara had to squint, glaring into the glowing red eyes that shun through the shadows of his face. Chara saw many things slithering in the corners of their eyes. Anarchy flickered and changed in the dark, but those red eyes never did. Chara's jaw clenched, eyes twitching with reserved horror. Such a deep red were those eyes. They had seen them before. They had hated them before.

"Get up, sidekick." Anarchy ordered in a low, gravely voice. His carnivorous eyes never blinked, never moved. They just stared with ultrafocus, all of his cruelty aimed right at them. Eagerly his hands curled into fists. "We're not done."

 _M-... Move... I need to move..._ Chara thought to themself, wincing as they slowly got one foot under themself. Still they were on one knee, but they desperately pushed their aching body harder. Their DETERMINATION worked slowly, spread thin through the many bones Anarchy had shattered with the brutality of his latest attack. _I can't lose..._

"Hurry up." Anarchy ordered a little more assertively, scarlet soaked teeth grinding against one another. Furiously his red soul burned, frustration clear in his beastly eyes. "You can't just be chopping my arms of one second and then fold completely the next. I was just starting to have fun!"

 _H-he's gonna... Hurt Angel if I lose..._ Chara clenched their eyes shut tight, ignoring the screams and pleas of their body to stop. Planting one hand atop their risen knee and the other in the dirt, their body trembled, slowly rising from the dirt.

"C'mon punching bag!" Anarchy had closed the distance, and he loomed over them now. Condescendingly he held his arms out to his sides, leaving himself wide open. "Stand up so I can keep hitting you!"

 _... Which means I can't lose..._ Hands balling into fists in the dirt, Chara forced their DETERMINATION to flare. On their chest their soul burned brightly, and along their body electricity was flickering. _I can't give up..!_

"That's it, you got it!" Anarchy continued to berate, leaning over them and grinning. His shade fell over them, his smile plastered on the shadow's lack of a face as well. "C'mon, you were doing _great_! Don't give up now!"

 _Not now..!_ Growling ferociously, Chara reached up, grabbing a handful of Anarchy's shirt in their fist. They used him as leverage, slowly pulling themself up to both feet. All the while they stared straight up at him, hair covering their left eye and DETERMINATION making their right burn through the dark. _Not ever!_

"There you go, sidekick! Come on!" Anarchy laughed in the face of their glare, keeping his arms out to the side. He even turned his cheek to the side, his maniac left eye never leaving Chara. They never saw it blink, either. "I'll even give you the first shot!"

Chara snarled at that, twisting the shirt that they held and pulling Anarchy up slightly by the collar. He didn't stop his giggling though, not even when they cocked back their other fist, and their electric aura crackled to life. Voltage jumped over their knuckles, lightning climbed rapidly across their arm. Then, with a primal roar, Chara launched their fist forward, all their DETERMINATION channeling through their knuckles.

Anarchy's head was pushed to a tilt, but Chara held him tight by the collar to make sure he caught every bit of force on their punch. His eyebrows rose while his cheek split, a sting settling in over the side of his face. He looked a little surprised for a moment, but then his lips curled up again, and his cruel pupil darted back to Chara from the corner of its eye. "... That's it-?"

"HAH!" Chara suddenly exclaimed, the fires of their soul exploding through their body. Their DETERMINATION channeled out of their fist and right into Anarchy's body, the sudden sensation jarring him. This feeling was immediately followed by stabbing pain when blades not unlike Chara's swords suddenly began blasting out from his skin. They formed inside his body and stabbed their way out, crimson steel jutting out of him left and right. His leg bent, a blade darting out from the side of his knee. Four more spiked out of his back, and three from his abdomen. From both thighs and both shins they protruded. One blasted out on either side of his chest, and from both biceps.

Anarchy's eyes were wide now, pupils shrunken and distant. The moment Chara let go of his collar, his body slumped backwards to fall. But Chara was far from done. Before Anarchy could hit the ground, they spun, raising one foot and slamming a roundhouse kick right into his jaw, sending him stumbling back on spaghetti legs. The Ascended Heir stomped forward and cocked back another fist, rocking him with a right hook. A left handed upper cut connected next, throwing his head back.

But before Anarchy could fall flat on his ass, they grabbed him with both hands this time by the collar, cocking their head back and yanking his forward. With fire in their eyes they bashed their forehead into his with their own earth shattering headbutt, the force of which sent a gust of wind blasting out around the two. Blood spilled down the both of their foreheads, and hairline fractures split their skulls.

Finally, Chara dropped Anarchy, and as he fell towards the ground, the DETERMINATION blades sticking out of him shattered to pieces, leaving massive gashes in their wake. Chara put up their fists in spite of their gasping breaths though, sweat and blood alike trickling down their face. Their eyes never left Anarchy for a second, focusing on the wicked soul on his chest. Once more it mocked their efforts, never showing any signs of cracking.

"... Get up, bitch..." Chara finally spoke, their mouth hanging open to suck air. Despite the tremors of their exhausted body, the fight never once considered leaving their eyes. Their fists never unclenched, their stance never teetered. "Stand up, so I can keep hitting you..."

In an instant Anarchy's body moved, life springing into what - to an unsuspecting eye - looked like a corpse a moment ago. He yanked his knees up to his chest, kicking them out and springing right up to his feet. In this same motion he locked his hands together over his head, swinging down the moment he reached his feet and cracking his intertwined fists across the top of Chara's head like a hammer. The force of this strike sent cracks spiderwebbing through the earth beneath Chara as their knees were forced to bend, shadows concealing their eyes momentarily.

Chara refused to fall however, the furious red of their eyes piercing the dark that tried to consume their face. Instinctively they pulled their right fist back, firing it right up into Anarchy's gut with enough force to make his eyes bulge out of his head, doubling over their fist as wind blasted out of his back from the impact. Then, Chara whipped their lowered head right back up, smashing the back of their skull into his chin and making him recoil, standing up straight and leaning back.

Chara pulled back a left hook this time, but when they threw it, Anarchy ducked to the side of it, cocking back and smashing his elbow into Chara's nose with a sickening snap. They didn't let this slow them down though, batting Anarchy's still extended arm aside and hammering their knuckles right into his own nose, earning a similar snap.

Berserk rage flaring in his wide eyes, both of Anarchy's arms suddenly swung up, wrapping around Chara and yanking them in. He pulled them against his chest with crushing force, trapping them in a bear hug. His fingers gripped one another behind their back, and they threw their head back and shouted with pain, feeling their skeleton beginning to creak and groan under The Anarchist's pressure.

Anarchy cackled wickedly, psycho eyes watching the pain grow on their expression. His grin carved a valley across his face, deeper and deeper the more force he crushed around Chara. Roaring with pain, Chara forced one eye open, fury and fighting spirit still burning in their heart. Without hesitation they yanked their skull back, cracking their forehead against Anarchy's _again_. Chaos Incarnate didn't budge this time, not even as they repeated the motion and headbutted him another time. Scarlet ichor now trickling from his reopened forehead, his bloodshot eyes stayed wide open. His maw was open in the same manner, screaming his laughter right into Chara's face.

Fed up, Chara lurched forward, sinking their teeth into Anarchy's forehead. Their bottom jaw hooked just under his eyebrow, cutting up into his eyelid while their top row of teeth sunk into The Anarchist's ivory hairline, drawing out more of his blood. This got Anarchy's attention, making him grunt and snarl as more and more bite force bared down on his skull. He stumbled to and fro, shaking Chara around to get them to let go. When they didn't, he released his bear hug, letting go of their body and deciding to let gravity drag them off.

They reached up instantly however, latching one hand onto his shoulder and yanking back their opposite fist as they clung onto him. Savage will in Chara's eyes, they started hammering punches into Anarchy's ear, jaws never unhooking from his head.

"God! Damn! Gremlin!" Anarchy snarled with frustration, pulling both open palms back to his sides. Then, he thrust them upward, smashing a bone splitting dual palm strike into Chara's abdomen and launching them right off of him. Chara flung back a few yards, before landing hard on their side. They immediately opened their mouth to puke crimson bile. The instant they finished vomiting, their eyes snapped back to Anarchy, who was stomping towards them.

Veins pumping adrenaline and nothing else, Chara shoved themself right off the ground and into a dead sprint. They ran low to the ground, slamming their shoulder into his abdomen like they were attempting some kind of football tackle. While this strike did not knock Anarchy down, it certainly made him lurch forward, a guttural 'Oof!' jumping out of his throat with all the wind in his lungs.

Wrathful eyes darting down to Chara, who was still leaned forward with their shoulder planted in his ribs, Anarchy's arms once again snapped down. With a vice grip he grabbed Chara by the waist, before pulling them up and flipping them right around. Their knees resting briefly on his shoulders, he pulled them high over his head, before power bombing them right down onto their back with enough force to send a shock wave blasting out around the two, the earth blasting into a shallow crater under Chara's body.

Before Chara even got the chance to react Anarchy dropped both of his knees down on their chest, making their winced shut eyes snap right open and their head lurch up, only to get caught on the cheek with a punch. This bounced their head right into a fist swinging in from the other direction, which swung them back into the first fist. Now Anarchy was pin balling their head back and forth between his knuckles, growling and snarling like some freak beast from deep in the woods.

Finally Anarchy stopped clobbering them with his fists, letting their head drop back limp. Their concussed brain flickered in and out of consciousness, dilating pupils staring right up at the pink and orange sky. The sun was starting to set. The sky looked beautiful. Not that they were able to appreciate it for long, because Anarchy wrapped his large hand around their face. He pulled their head up, and then smashed it back into the ground like he was attempting to crack an egg.

Not releasing their face, The Anarchist moved his knees off their chest, climbing to his feet with a short grunt. He dragged them up off the ground, lifting them over his head. Their body dangled limp, and he could feel them gasping for air under his palm. Suddenly, he released them, spinning as they dropped and catching them in the solar plexus with a spinning back elbow so forceful that it sent them rocketing back towards that crater. The music faded out.

Chara flung for awhile before they hit the ground and rolled for even longer, finally tumbling in a twisted mess to the rim of the crater. Their left arm dangled limp over the edge, and their eyes stared blankly ahead as they laid on the side of their face. For a few seconds they were hardly conscious at all, but eventually a voice brought them back to the task at hand.

"... You fought hard, sidekick. Harder than anyone else ever has." The psychotic glimmer had left Anarchy's eyes as he sauntered closer, expression devoid of both anger and joy. There was no love, there was no hate. Hands now buried casually in his pockets, Anarchy watched them twitch weakly with life. "You were stronger, lasted longer than everybody else. You even made me forget why I came here for a few minutes there."

"You should be proud of that. You would have been the greatest ever..." Anarchy stopped walking, now looming over them. He removed one hand from his pocket as he leaned down, calmly grabbing a fistful of their hair and beginning to tug at it, lifting their limp head. "... If only I wasn't around."

"But, unfortunately, today is _my_ special day. Not yours." Chara winced as Anarchy dragged them slowly to their feet by the hair. With shaky hands they managed to reach up, gripping the hand that restrained them. Their feet were hardly touching the ground, on the tips of their tippy toes. With eyes half open, they glared weakly down at The Anarchist, thin streams of DETERMINATION still flickering along the larger cuts and gashes on their face. "And I came here for _one_ reason. So are you gonna tell me where Angel is or not?"

"... Eat my... Entirely hypothetical... Dick..." Chara managed to say through their pained gasps, light flickering in and out of their eyes. Their defiance made Anarchy smile in a way that was half cruel and half amused, and he began again.

"I figured it'd be a no. You stick to your guns; that's what I like about you." Tilting his head to the side some, Anarchy's smile widened a little more. He stared at their face, got a good look at it. He stored it away in his selective memory, and then he gave his million dollar question. "Tell me... What's you're name?"

 _Haaawwk! PTEW!_

"H-heheh... Hehehehe..." Chara laughed weakly, split lips curling into a smile now that they saw Anarchy's frown. They had spat a mouthful of bloody saliva right into his eye to answer his question, and now his smile had become a deep frown, his eye forced shut. Spittle dribbled down his face, and one of his brows twitched furiously. Chara mocked, "... Wouldn't you like to know... Hehehe..."

". . ." Anarchy was quiet for several long seconds, before he slowly drew in a deep breath through his nose. Then, he paused again, before suddenly tossing Chara's limp body right down the crater behind them like they were worthless to him. Then he exhaled just as calmly, and slowly reached up to wipe the spit off his face.

Chara tumbled powerlessly down the slope of the crater until they finally reached its bottom for the second time in their life. They laid there for a moment, clutching their eyes shut tight. But then, their hand felt around in the dirt, and their fingers glossed over a stick. It had likely just been blown from one of the trees at some point, having tumbled much like them into this hole to die. Shakily their knuckles coiled around this old bramble, accepting it as their only weapon.

Grunting painfully, Chara planted their free hand in the mud, body trembling as they pushed their palm down. Slowly they forced the lead weight of their limbs to cooperate, sliding one knee up under themself and lifting the other, resting an elbow across it. They gasped for breath after all that exertion, lifting their head some to look between the blood stained hair strands that dangled in front of their face and at the rim of their crater.

Directly ahead of them Anarchy stood, looking down from the high ground with contempt burning in his ruby eyes. That giggling darkness contrasted his fury, Chara watching as worms slowly slithered up to the ledge of the crater, all their gnarled maws pointing down towards them. Filthy tongues flecked out into the air, catching the scent of Chara's blood.

"... Well?" Chara managed to call out, their voice ringing surprisingly loud and powerful. They pushed off from their knee, growling quietly to themself over the pain as they rose one more time to their feet, against all odds. Their ruby orbs scanned the surrounding halo of monsters, spotting the uncountable number of wriggling, giggling beasts. And yet they still held their stick out to the side, as though they truly believed they could and would cleave through each of these creatures and The Anarchist with it. DETERMINATION burning bright, they glared right up at Anarchy, jaws snapping furiously as they shouted. "BRING IT ON! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"

Frown carving deeper into his face, Anarchy pushed both hands into his pockets. He leaned his head back some, watching Chara stand defiant for two or three long seconds. Then, finally, in a bitter and dark voice, he gave his order.

 **"Eat 'em from the feet up."**

Giggling turned into full blown hysterical laughter when the worms heard that order, and all at once they blasted down over the slope, circling a mile a minute towards Chara. The Ascended Heir never flinched, instead stomping one foot down and letting their eyes dart around for whichever monstrosity they would have to kill first. Heart thudding in their chest and pumping even more adrenaline through their veins, their blood stained maw continued to shout challenge. "COME OOONN!"

 _Whoosh!_

Anarchy's eyes snapped open wide as wind blasted by the side of his head, whipping his mane of ivory to and fro. A small, black droplet had splattered across his cheek, and his expression was no longer furious, rage replaced by bewilderment and complete confusion. His scarlet spheres slowly scanned the crater, only to find that his worms were just as confused as he. They turned their heads from side to side in a search for their prey, tongues flicking uselessly past their jaws to try and find the scent of blood that had been there just seconds prior.

Anarchy skeptically lifted his hand from his pocket, and carefully ran his thumb over the little streak that had appeared on his cheek when air blasted over his shoulder. After wiping the liquid onto his thumb, he pulled it into his line of vision, and his white eyebrows furrowed a little at the sight of a dark, inky substance.

And then, slowly, pensively, he began to turn. He looked gradually over his shoulder, and his eyes started to widen. A hopeful, joyous light shun through all the murder and rage and madness, giving his rubies a beautiful luster. His blood soaked lips curled happily, splitting to reveal his many jagged fangs in an open mouthed grin. He pivoted, turned all the way around, and stared giddily across the plateau at a back adorned with four wings and branded by the Deltarune.

"H-huh..?" Chara blinked a few times, shifting with confusion in my arms. I had one arm behind their head and shoulders and the other behind their knees, carrying their beaten up body carefully. Finally, their crimson eyes traced up the scar of my chest and the burning red soul beside it, all the way to my face and my now matching eyes. This made their bruised orbs widen slowly, their jaw hanging open some. "A-... _Angel..?_ "

"Are you okay?" I asked with a calm and quiet voice, my expression remaining mostly stoic. There was a hint of warmth in my colder eyes however, a pinch of worry in my tone.

"U-uhh... Well..." Chara had to blink a few times, staring bewildered into my face. Their mouth moved silently for a few seconds like they were trying to form words. Finally, they shook their head, jumbling their likely concussed mind together. "I'm, not gonna lie, Angel... I've been better..."

The corner of my mouth curled up just a little, and I carefully knelt down. Delicately I set Chara's beaten up form on the ground, remaining on one knee beside them. They too smiled some when they saw me smile; I could tell they were relieved. I was too. Seeing them here and now, the image of them dead on the floor in the depths of my nightmares faded from the inside of my eyelids.

"You did great today, Chara." I reached out, placing a hand on their shoulder. My eyes never left theirs, even as some surprise flashed on their face from my words. "I'm proud of you."

"I-I... Well... I..." Chara stammered, eyes darting to the side as a light red shade flickered between the black and blue colors on their cheeks. They wouldn't say it, but I think a part of them had desperately wanted - maybe even needed - to hear me say that. And I don't think they knew that until I actually said it. They denied that theory though with an embarrassed mumble. "I-it was nothing, really..."

"Here." I reached out a hand to them, laying my palm flat. After a second, a cinnamon bunny appeared in my grasp, catching Chara's attention. "Take this, it looks like you could use it."

"... T-thanks..." Chara spoke, clearly still shaken up. I couldn't imagine speaking was particularly easy for them either, what with how damaged they were. Still, they reached out and took the item from my hand with aching fingers.

"I'll handle things from here." I spoke calmly as I pushed easily back to my feet, standing over Chara. They were mid chew when I said that, and they jumped like they'd almost choked, immediately mumbling through their mouthful in protest. This made me pause, arching a brow down at them.

"W-wait, Cter!" Chara objected the moment they swallowed hard, wincing and lifting one hand. They shook their head some, like they were trying to help the food go down. Already they were looking a little more energized and like their pain was dulling, but they were too focused on me to notice. "Y-you can't fight him, he's way too strong!"

"I appreciate the concern, but I've got it, Chara." I was distant, not seeming particularly phased one way or another by the world around me. This clearly unnerved Chara in a way; I wasn't normally like this. I was normally stupid, weak willed. Now I was focused, DETERMINED. "You need to get out of here."

"W-what..? N-no, Cter, listen to me!" Chara tried to stand, but suddenly grunted, wincing with pain. They dropped down to one knee, grabbing at the stabbing pain in their abdomen. I squinted bitterly at the sight of this, my hands clenching into fists at my sides with reserved fury. But just as I was about to turn to aim this rage at the damned albino across the plateau, Chara's hand darted out, snagging my pant leg and keeping my attention on them.

"Anarchy, he's... I cut his head off, and he pulled another one out of his shoulders, Angel!" Chara's eyes darted up to mine. They were wide with worry, pupils shrunken in fear for me. That was strange to me. Even after all this time, it still hardly added up in my brain. It was foreign, that a person could show such fear for my own well being. "You _can't_ take him alone! No one can!"

"Chara, I'm not letting you fight him any longer." I blinked calmly down at them, my eyes admittedly cold. I was never good at expressing my feelings, least of all now. "I have to fight him alone."

"... No. You don't." Chara objected, and I arched a brow again, once more mildly confused. But then, they lifted their hand, and my eyebrows rose with some surprise. Over their palm a shining red light manifested. It took shape quickly, forming a crimson heart. Chara held their soul out to me, a hopeful and DETERMINED gleam in their eye. "Together, Angel. Together we're stronger than he is..! I-I know it!"

"..." Slowly, I lowered myself down onto one knee again. I got onto Chara's level, kneeling with them. The light of their soul reflected in both of our eyes, and I reached up slowly with both hands. My fingers neared their ruby heart, but stopped instead at their hands. I gently took their fingers in my own, curling them back into a fist so as to retract their offer for them. When I did, the light of their soul faded, returning into their chest.

"B-but..." Chara's brows furrowed like they really didn't understand. But then, their eyes widened some when I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around them and pulling them tight to my chest in a hug. "O-oh!"

"..." I rested my chin on their shoulder, eyes narrowing painfully into the distance while I held them. My hands balled into fists full with the back of their torn up shirt, and I squeezed them a little tighter than I probably should have with their injuries. But, they never objected. If I did hurt them, they never made it know to me.

"Angel..?" They asked quietly, slowly rubbing their hands along my back. Or, what they could touch, anyway. They kept their fingers away from the burning heat of my Deltarune brand, as well as the four bases of my four wings.

"... I was terrified." I finally spoke, pupils shrinking in my distant eyes. "I thought... I thought I was gonna get here, and I was going to be too late. I wouldn't be fast enough again, I wouldn't be strong enough again, I-I..."

"Angel, hey... It's okay." They assured me quietly, hugging me a little tighter as well. There was worry in their own eyes, my fearful tone catching them slightly off guard. "I'm alive. I'm right here. You got here in time, it's okay... I'm safe..."

"... No you aren't." I said after a pause, lifting my head some to look into the darkening sky. I could hear it now, the slithering shadows. The giggling evil. I could feel Anny's glare like the crushing weight of all my sins, smashing right into my back. "Because Anarchy's still here."

"..." Chara's eyes lifted from my back, narrowing pensively at the looming Anarchist. He stood there, waiting patiently for my attention. A worm slithered obediently up on either side of him. In one's maw it held his crowbar, and the other held his shield. They returned his weapons to him, preparing him for the fight to come, and he strapped his shield onto his back. His crowbar remained clutched tight in his left hand. Chara grimaced, and finally they spoke. "... Angel, you don't have to do this alone."

"... I know. But this is my mess. It's my job to clean it up." I took a deep breath, and shut my eyes momentarily. I savored this moment, what it was like to hold them in my arms for what could be the very last time. Then, I pulled back, unwrapping my arms from around them. I frowned a little as I looked at Chara, but DETERMINATION gleamed in my red painted eyes. "And I don't think I could live with myself if one more person I care about got hurt because of my mistakes."

"... Angel..." Chara trailed off as they looked at my face again. Their eyes narrowed again, staring into the matching scarlet shade of my irises, and it looked like more concern was growing in their heart. "Y-your eyes..."

"As soon as you can walk, get Asriel and get down into the city." I commanded quickly, pushing myself up to my feet so suddenly that it surprised Chara a little. I'm not sure they were ready for me to walk away. But I couldn't wait any longer. They reached out, but I turned around before I let them distract me any more than they already had.

When Chara saw my back, they paused. Their eyes scanned all four of my obsidian wings, before they were drawn to the burning white light of my perpetually glowing Deltarune. Seeing me now made them think about how long these six months had been, how much I had changed the world and been changed in turn by it. How much I had changed since we first met in Snowdin. How much I had changed since we talked this morning.

"..." I drew in a deep breath, my chest rising slowly before falling in the same manner. Finally, my ruby eyes landed on Anny. He loomed there, wearing what was either a giddy grin or a furious snarl. Knowing him, it might've been both. My hands clenched into fists, and my DETERMINATION flared, sending gusts of burning wind swirling out around me. Leaves and dirt alike were kicked up, twirling into the air over my head and disappearing into the sky. Then, I turned my left eye over my shoulder to Chara, who had risen their arms in front of their face, wincing in the heat.

 **"I can't guarantee Mount Ebbot's still gonna be standing when me n' him are done."**

And then, all was silent. I turned my eyes back to Anarchy, and he kept his eyes on me. There was some distance between us, but it felt like we were inches apart. The rest of the world around us faded away. Time stopped, space paused. The sun above dared not set, too focused on the conclusion of our story.

Two garbage kids from society's gutter stood at the planet's peak. Little Angel and Anny, all grown up now. Every second of our lives, from the moment I chucked rocks at the bullies kicking Anthony in that alleyway, it was all for this. Right here. Our special day, our Reunion. And I hadn't understood, not like Anny had, not until right now. I needed this just as badly as he did. I thought about him just as often as he thought about me. In our hatred we loved one another, in our shattered bonds we were brothers. We were the same, him and I. And it was time that we finished what we began in that alley.

Anny and Angel.

Anarchy and Hacker.

The Scorpion and The Angel.

 **In unison, we took our first step towards one another.**

* * *

 **Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!**

 **XWolf26, out**


	46. Chapter 46: Always The Bridesmaid(Part1)

**Thanks go to EpicSlayerGuy99, Wingah, Zack Frost, 10burgers, ipadnoodle, Get vectored, Acoolnamme, Jack54311, MadMalitian, CrystalGamer82, Chara Moonstone, WhoWritesThisCrap, Doctah Sawbones, JasherTheDarkened, Okami Endless, Stillnyte, Genowar, Thesaiyan21, NBoss01.**

 **Jack54311, I'm really sorry to hear that you weren't feeling up to reading the fight scene last chapter. I know fights aren't everyone's favorite thing, and that it has been quite a lot of them. I appreciate you reading and reviewing anyway, and I urge you to reread that fight some time when you're feeling more up to it. I work hard to show character in fighters during a battle so that it isn't just a pointless punch fest, and I do think there was some interesting developments in Chara's character shown throughout that battle. Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter and have a good day. :)**

 **Thanks for reviewing Thesaiyan21! It made me really happy to hear about the impact DoubleTale has had on you and your childhood! Thanks for supporting me this long, I hope you continue to read and enjoy my work! :)**

 **Glad to see you back MadMalitian, it's been a minute. I hope you've been enjoying the story. :)**

 **I'm happy to see you're still following along with the story JasherTheDarkened, I wasn't sure you were still around. I'm glad to know you're still enjoying my work. :)**

 **Whoa kay that was a lotta responses! I'm really glad so many people reviewed last chapter, and that people have haven't reviewed in awhile or don't review often left one for me. That was really nice of all you guys, thanks for the support! Sorry about the late chapter, I've been real busy lately. I promise I'm still working on DoubleTale whenever I can and have no plans of stopping anytime soon! Hopefully my schedule is opening up, and next chapter should be here in two weeks!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.**

* * *

 _"I can't guarantee Mount Ebbot's still gonna be standing when me n' him are done."_

"W-whoa... So cool..." Pale blue light reflected in large, circular glasses. This light illuminated the otherwise darkened room in which one monster sat on a couch, slouched forward. Down her scaly snout eyes watched intently from behind the glare of her spectacles. She was completely enamored, unable to tear her focus away from her screen.

"Enjoying the show?"

"Ahh!" The reptilian monster jumped suddenly, her glasses slipping down her snout some as her head whipped back around to spot the looming skeleton behind her. Her dark eyes were hard to make out in the shadows, and she snorted with some amusement when she spotted her acquaintance there, her panic from a second ago fading fast. "Badster."

"You know, for someone who's all seeing, you're very easy to sneak up on." Badster's smile was cranked up a little extra far as he loomed over Alphys from behind the couch, his long back hunched.

"I think 'all seeing' is a bit of an exaggeration, doctor." Alphys frowned at Badster for a moment, but then her uneven smile returned. She reached up, pushing the static flickering over her specs back up to obscure her eyes from view. Then, with another nasally, condescending laugh, she gave a question. "How's the hand?"

"..." Badster frowned some at Alphys' ridicule, carefully unfolding his hands from behind his craned back. He lifted his phalanges, showcasing two perfectly healthy hands. Then, a third appeared over his head. This hand was wrapped in medical tape, splints setting the shattered digits in place. "I have spares."

"Trying to shake hands with The Angel. Not the brightest move." Alphys turned her lenses back to the viewing portal before her. Then, over her shoulder she waved one hand dismissively at Badster, like she was shooing him away. "Now go, scram. This is the best part of my show."

"Ah ah." Badster didn't hesitate in taking a step around Alphys with his long legs, getting right in her line of vision. This made her lips curl down in an absolutely disdainful frown, her glasses lifting up to spot the smiling face of Doctor Gaster. "You and I had a deal, little miss shadow broker."

"You wouldn't want me to have to go back on my end of the deal, would you..." Badster's sockets narrowed cruelly, watching the glasses slip slowly down Alphys' snout. Now, in the light of her screens, her eyes could be seen. Or, rather, the lack thereof. Where there should have been eyes, endless back voids resided. But this darkness stared back into those who peered into it. This darkness stared into all. "... CORE Alphys?"

"... You have any idea what I'm losing by giving out a fight like this one _for free_?" Those vantablack orbs narrowed furiously up at Badster, but his wicked smile only grew.

"Less than you'll lose if I stop my work with these kids." Badster spoke in a wonderfully friendly tone, tilting his skull to the side some. It brought him joy to see CORE!Alphys's deceitful teeth grind together, before finally she shut those empty eyes, and breathed a long sigh.

"... Fine, Badster. A promise is a promise." Alphys reached up, pushing up her glasses with one pointed nail and covering those eyes again. "And you've more than delivered on your end."

"Thank you, my dear Seer." Badster stepped back and out of Alphys' way, the malice disappearing from his cracked eyes. He put back on the friendly mask of his regular smile, folding his hands carefully behind his back. "I think you'll find this choice to be very beneficial in the long run. To both of us."

"Yeah, yeah..." Alphys grumbled moodily, rising her claws up over her head. At this command, thousands of lights flicked on above, illuminating the darkened room and showing a ceiling way higher than one would have originally thought.

Now it appeared that Badster and Alphys stood on a platform in a long, vertical tube. There was only one doorway, that the platform stretched back towards. Below it was all just a straight drop down into the endless shine of endless screens, and above was the exact same. These many portals were all displaying the same show now, identical to the one large monitor that Alphys had been watching from her couch, the only furniture in this place and the centerpiece of her platform.

And Badster watched, sockets slowly going wide. Glee flickered in his white pupils, and for once that smile seemed genuine on his skull. It grew and grew, shaping his features into a bewildered and joyous grin. He slowly spun in a circle, looking out over the labor of all his efforts. It was like he almost couldn't believe this was really happening.

It was finally time.

The Reunion would be before a grand audience.

 **Chapter 46: Always The Bridesmaid**

 **Part 1**

 _"That is shocking! That is fantastic! That is baffling!"_

* * *

"Hm hm hmm..." A smile gracing her lips, Aliza leaned a little out of her apartment window. In her hand she held a tiny, cute pink watering can, delicately tilting it over the row of small flowers that was hooked on the outer sill of her window.

The flowers were an odd mix, whites and reds and purples. But, though they might not have mixed the best, Aliza liked them. It was a little freedom that she was very thankful for, being able to decorate and live in her own way. She had a job, she had a home, and it was all her own. Her life was simple, but she found that... Oddly pleasant.

She still thought about Anthony very often. It had only been a little over a week since her voyage through Horrortale at the side of The Anarchist, but things had changed drastically for her. She was still lonely, and still anxious, and she still missed her best friend. Though she had known Anthony for only a short time, and he had displayed some haunting character traits in that time, he had still been kind to her. He had treated Aliza like a person, acknowledged her as something of her own and not just what he wanted her to be. And that meant... _Something._ In fact, that might have meant everything.

 _Krrrrcchhh..._

"Huh?" Aliza perked up from her usual internal monologue, turning her head back into her apartment and towards her TV. There, as the center piece of her cute little living room, her smaller box shaped television had seemingly lit up on its own accord. In her violet slippers, Aliza skeptically tip toed towards the machine, furrowing her brows at the screen.

Static flickered, waxed and waned, before finally it disappeared. Then, clear as day she could make out a mountain peak, illuminated in the beautiful oranges and pinks of a half set sun. In the spiky peaks of stone, there was an opening where earth flattened into a plateau. And that is where her attention was drawn.

The first thing she noticed was an extraordinary man. He stood tall, violent embers flickering with little crackles of electricity along his body. On his back he was branded with a symbol that Aliza thought familiar, but couldn't place. This brand glowed, burned even with a pure white shade. More outstanding than this strange mark however was the four wings that surrounded it. They were black, carved from obsidian but elegant and malleable like some kind of ink. These wings were alight with veins of glowing red, slowly brightening and dimming periodically.

Aliza stared at this man, this Angel walking the earth for several long seconds. Her brain pondered many things. What strange show was this? Was this real? Was this some program? These questions were stopped short however when she looked to the one that stood across from The Angel, and her eyes snapped open wide.

"A-Anthony?!" In an instant she had dropped to her knees, grabbing the sides of her TV and leaning her face in close to the screen. The pale light of the television reflected in her fearful eyes as she inspected the crowbar wielding albino closer. It was obvious, there was no one with a look like that other than Anthony The Anarchist.

 _"I thought I should be crowned king before I kill The Angel."_

"... Anthony..." Aliza let the name slip past her lips one more time, semi-wide eyes never blinking. Pensively she stared into the screen, brows furrowed as her fingers tightened their grip on the corners of the TV. "... Did you do it?"

 _"I'm not the cause, Aliza. I'm the effect."_

"You must have..." Slowly, she leaned back onto her knees, pulling her face away from the screen some. She reached up, slowly clenching her hand into a fist over the chest of her shirt. "N-now you're finally at your goal, aren't you, Anthony..?"

 _"Somewhere... Quiet, I think. Somewhere real quiet."_

"... Win." Aliza told him, though he would never hear her. But she hoped, someway somehow, he would feel her. From the looks of things, Anarchy was a monster, and he was facing off with some holy being sent to smite him. But Aliza knew Anthony, and she knew that wasn't true. "Y-you have to win..!"

Anthony The Anarchist was not the villain, and Aliza felt she was the only one in the world who knew that truth. He had picked her, after all. She was his one friend in the world, even if she couldn't be by his side anymore. So instead she knelt there, the one in a billion rooting for The Bastard Son. She hoped he knew that. She hoped he understood that someone else believed he was the hero of this story.

"You worked harder for this than anyone else!" She told him through the deaf television, a rare red glint flickering in her purple eyes. "S-so do it!"

"Win, Anthony!"

* * *

A gust of wind made the ink dyed strands of Future's hair wave and tussle some upon his head. The sky was overcast, getting darker. He thought it might rain, and that almost made him laugh in a boo-hoo kinda way. It would have added a great level of drama to his current endeavor.

 **Rest In Peace**

He had taken it upon himself to bury Chara. Far away, on Ebbot's highest peak. It was likely no one else would ever reach this high; he'd needed the use of his wings to make it up here. The air was thin, the wind was harsh. But it was as high as he could lift them, and it was the only way he could keep their grave protected.

In the final quarter of their life, Chara had made a species worth of enemies. And of course the Monsters were right in their disdain towards the Fallen Heir; they had in fact exterminated over half of their population. Everyone had lost someone. Future certainly wasn't an exception. But, he didn't hate Chara. That much he knew, and he was glad he'd gotten the chance to make that clear to them, too.

... He didn't tell the Monsters what Chara did. He doubted they would understand. He doubted one sacrifice would make it up to them. Future wasn't even sure if it had made things up to him. But, he did know that in Chara's final moments, they did the right thing. And even if it was too late, and it didn't fix all they had done, that meant _something_. In fact, at least to Future, it might have meant everything.

He visited them up here every day. It was a long walk, followed by what was usually difficult flying, but he was appreciative of the journey anyway. It was the only time he allowed himself to fly anymore. He had failed as The Angel, he knew he hardly deserved the wings anymore. So a difficult, shitty flight to a melancholy place seemed fitting as the only use he got out of his feathers anymore.

Emerald eyes never leaving the cold obsidian shade of Chara's tombstone - which was not marked with any name or any lifespan - Future reached into his coat pocket. After a moment of searching, he pulled the silver of his flask free, and calmly took hold of its cap in his free hand. He spun the cap until it popped off, and then tilted his head back, bringing his drink to his lips. He didn't drink for too long, just a gulp or two, before he lowered the alcohol away from his mouth.

After resealing his drink and stuffing it back away in his jacket, he let his eyes lower to the ground in front of Chara's headstone, where they narrowed a little painfully. He stared at the flowers he had left them. Glassy black, crafted in hard ink and taking an appearance that was both beautiful and ghostly. Once upon a time he had left their old grave in the Underground one flower, years later he had crafted them an entire bouquet.

"..." The king took a deep breath, shutting his eyes while he considered speaking. It was hard to find any words that accurately described how he was feeling. It was hard to find a reason to say them. The fact of the matter was, he had more important things to do. His people were in disarray, his kingdom's center piece was a massive crater, which was directly next to another, slightly smaller crater. And both of these scorched landmasses were surrounded by shattered roads and crumbled buildings. He had spent enough of his life feeling sorry for himself or for others. Now was the time for action.

Suddenly, light flared in the dark sky, shining right down on Future. He squinted his eyes some at this sudden and less than welcome change in lighting, turning his head up to investigate what could be displaying this strange, blueish white light down upon him. It was a color not unlike that of a television or a computer screen.

The king's eyes widened however when he spotted the source of this light. A mountain identical to the one he stood atop now was on display on some shimmering portal. It was a massive, 2D rectangle that floated in the sky above, blotting out the clouds in favor of its show. And what a show it was, Future deduced with the clench of his jaw.

It was a face he hadn't seen in some time, but one he recognized quite well. Pale skin, blood red eyes, fangs perfect for ripping flesh. There was no mistaking it, that was Anthony The Anarchist, his former best friend. Or, at least some version of him. Future couldn't deny that looking at that maniac's face for the first time in years soured his mood further, reminding him of even _more_ failures he had made.

He didn't have time to contemplate that however, his train of thought taking a separate rail when he spotted the man that was striding right towards The Anarchist. He recognized him too; Cter The Angel. His eyebrows rose, a grimace taking over his face as he looked upon his younger self. The red in his eyes matched Anarchy's perfectly, and the wings on his back set him apart from the rest of his kind. That made it hard to doubt; Future had met this specific Angel before.

"Ah, shit..." Future squinted his aged eyes to be certain he was really seeing what he thought he was seeing. At the same time, he was pulling that flask out of his jacket again, unscrewing the cap. Shaking his head, his eyes never left this display, more and more disbelief appearing in his eyes.

"Is that _my_ munchkin?"

* * *

"... What..?"

The Gatherer and The Predator had paused their battle, both of them staring with equal bewilderment at the screen that had just... _Appeared_ in the sky overhead. Surrounding this massive portal was the crumbling green of Melanie's barrier, what was once a dome now a cracking halo forming a perimeter around what was left of Xander's home.

"Anthony..?" Predator murmured, lowering her scythe some as she stared up at The Bastard Son. Her eyebrows furrowed but her eyes were wide. Why were they being shown this? What even _was_ this?!

"Angel?!" Gatherer exclaimed, pupils shrinking with terror. He was following the same train of thought as Predator; this didn't make sense. Anarchy has only ever wanted to fight _one_ Angel, and that Angel was fighting Cliff right now! There's no way he could have gotten to Anarchy that quickly, and there's no way Cliff would have let him by!

Unless...

Xander felt his heart drop right into his stomach, which dropped into his shoes. That pillar of light from minutes ago. The power that had been crackling through the air so intensely, before just... Disappearing. It couldn't be that... That perhaps Clifford had been..?

"Sur-PRISE!"

 _WHAM!_

Predator clobbered The Gatherer in the jaw with a brutal hook, carrying him on her fist and blasting him right over the side with the destructive force of her punch. Xander hardly felt this strike even as it split his cheek, forced his teeth down on his tongue. His brain felt disconnected from his body. He didn't speak, didn't emote at all. He just stared straight up with wide eyes as he sailed right off the top of The Predator's ship.

As he plummeted, he watched Lexi skillfully flip right back into her hanger. At the same time, the rest of her pirates appeared to be rising on one giant gold star conjured by their fluffy wizard. They reached the hanger at the same time as Lexi, hastily jumping from the star and past the rapidly closing opening that lead into the ship. The moment each and every one of them disappeared inside, reality opened in a rift before the ship, and fires blasted out from its engines, firing it right through the hole in space time, which promptly shut behind them, covering their escape.

Xander hardly cared about their escape. Fear had a tight grip on him, trapping him in paralysis as he plummeted down towards the unforgiving Earth. Before he could crash, however, the ground split beneath him, vines and flowers crashing up from the dirt and into the sky. The wonderfully colorful vegetation was a stark contrast to the blueish white tinted world, and it raced right up to meet The Gatherer, opening its petals and leaves for him.

Safely Xander thudded onto the green, barely even blinking from the feeling of his impact. He couldn't tear his eyes away from The Angel. Those wings, that brand... Those _cold, heartless red eyes_. The greatest thief Xander The Gatherer had ever known. Had he truly let Angel steal everything from him a second time?

Down on the ground, still laying flat on her stomach, Eden winced and gasped for air. She had outstretched one hand, blood trickling down her chin from the painful coughs she had been plagued with ever since The Angel had briefly knocked her out with a rib shattering punch. She propped herself up on one elbow, her outstretched hand trembling as her vegetation hastily lowered Xander to the ground, keeping him safe with whatever strength she had left.

The moment she had set her leader on the ground, her flowers and vines crumpled, and she did as well. Her hand dropped to the dirt, her elbow slid out from under her, and she passed out again before she even felt herself face plant on the ground.

* * *

Gaster and Sans were still seated on the floor of Gaster's laboratory, crushed under the gravity of their situation. It wasn't until the cellar door was thrown open and one loud, familiar voice rang that they felt capable of moving again.

"Sans! Gaster!" Papyrus raced right down the steps to the two of them, a panicked tone in his voice. His sockets darted between the two of them, and he continued before either of them could speak. "It is an emergency! Come outside!"

Sans and Gaster exchanged a quick glance, fearing the worst. Gaster had hardly gotten a response out of Cter, just a few words before The Hacker abruptly hung up the phone. Neither of them could make heads or tails of a response like that. Gaster knew one thing though, Cter had certainly confirmed the things Anarchy had said. Those two most definitely had some type of history.

The three skeletons made their way above ground, and Papyrus lead them onto their front lawn. With one orange mitted hand he pointed upwards, "Look!"

Sans and Gaster both turned their eyes skyward, and their sockets went wide. The light of one massive viewer portal reflected in Gaster's glasses, which slipped a little ways away from his eyes. There it was, on clear display to all of Ebbot City. Cter had made it, alright. But he looked different, very different.

From his back four wings were spread wide. Across his body, red lighting and crimson embers flickered and crackled. His Deltarune brand was shining endlessly, its bright light almost blinding when one stared directly into it. With every breath, scarlet steam rose from the corners of his mouth and both of his nostrils.

Gaster should have felt relieved. Things had went according to plan, Cter had achieved that higher level of power. And yet... When he saw those bright red eyes, all he could think of was the wide eyed, furious stare The Anarchist had paralyzed him with earlier. When he saw those wings, all he felt was dread. He _should_ have felt better. He should have felt something positive. But instead, his nonexistent heart sunk. Fear gripped his soul.

He had made a mistake. And judging by the side eyed glare Sans was shooting him, the judge was already more than aware of this fact. But, this was no time for "I told you so"s. The streets were quickly filling. Just a few houses down, both the king and the queen of the monsters were stepping out from their home. From the window of the house's second floor, Frisk was poking their head out their window. They stared with wide eyes, just like much of the populous, clearly completely befuddled by the sight before them.

"Anthony..?" Toriel questioned aloud, squinting to make out the sight of the crowbar wielding albino. There was no doubt about it, that was the young man who had seemed so polite at her door earlier in the day. He looked nothing like that now. Just the sight of The Anarchist was enough to show the madman he truly was. His malevolence shun in his bright red eyes. His skin was covered in blood, and he kept that filthy hunk of metal gripped tight in his hand. Immediately guilt spiked in her heart, and her paw reached up, gently gripping the chest of her dress. He had been right in front of her, and she hadn't even known what he truly was. She was afraid, disturbed by the idea that someone like him had just walked right up to her front door. She'd offered to let him inside... He could have... Have...

Asgore furrowed his brows in a concerned way, remaining silent as he watched this scene unfold. Much of this was confusing, even more of it concerning. He could hardly make sense of the fact that some giant rift had just opened in space time right over his house, let alone what the rift was displaying. But, what he did know was that The Angel was taking a stand against a man that radiated doom. With a form that the King of the Monsters had never seen before, and a level of intensity that he did not recognize.

So he did not speak. Instead, silently, Asgore shut his eyes, and he hoped. For his people's safety, for his family's safety, for his friends' safety, and for The Angel's safety.

* * *

 _What are you playing at, Badster?_ CORE Frisk squinted their void eyes with disdain, whipping winds breezing right through them without so much as tugging at their clothes or moving one hair on their head. On a high peak they stood, their little hands folded behind their back.

They stared down at The Angel and The Scorpion, watching their fated collision reach ever closer, step by step. But this was not all they saw. Hundreds of worlds, timeline after timeline they watched. Their monochromatic form stood in an uncountable amount of settings, and in each reality, they saw this very battle on display. In the sky, on TVs and computers, all across the void. It was hard for them to look in any one direction and _not_ see Angel and Anthony. _Putting their showdown on display like this..._

 _Well... Fine._ Jaw clenching with reserved fury, C Frisk let their billion eyes refocus on what now held all the multiverse's attention. Whether they liked it or not, this battle was happening, and everyone was going to see. There was nothing they could do about that now.

 ** _If you want everyone to see your freak lose to mine, that's no problem for me._**

* * *

The grass hissed under my feet. It burned with each step, steam rising up around my shoes with every blade that was scorched. Embers dripped from between my fingers, before they were caught in the whipping winds of my DETERMINATION and carried off somewhere into the sky. My eyes stared straight ahead, right into his. Anthony The Anarchist.

The world seemed to squirm uncomfortably around him. Light avoided touching his skin at all costs, making shadows slip and crawl unnaturally across his body. His endless well of blood still spilled down his face, droplets cascading over red stained skin and dripping off his chin. He didn't look like any human or monster I had ever seen before. Even his albino father would look unnatural next to his offspring.

*I couldn't be more proud.

My fists clenched a little tighter, and static DETERMINATION crackled out from my soul, jumping down my body before running out in a circular wave from around me. The display died down before it reached Anny's feet, his shoe crashing down on the final spark and snuffing it out effortlessly. We were getting closer and closer now, and the air between us was beginning to vibrate.

Step after step, one foot in front of the other. Every second was an hour. Every stride spanned a mile. We were just a few yards apart now, and the closer we got, the more violently our energy grew in the air around us. Another few footfalls went by, before the air around us began to pop occasionally. Short bursts of pressure here and there, growing more frequent.

And then, finally... There we were. Face to face. Nothing but a few feet separating us. He was staring at me with wide eyes, and I could see all of his psychosis flashing in those rubies with which he peered into me. It was like he couldn't believe I was real, that I was really standing there in front of him. I was Santa Claus, and he was a little albino boy who desperately needed a Christmas miracle. I guess I understood that. After all, it was hard for me to believe that he was really there, too. He was the Antichrist, and I was a Sunday preacher who desperately needed a miracle, Christmas or otherwise.

We were the center of the multiverse. All the gravity poured down upon us, but we never felt a thing. We were all there was, and now that we were right in front of one another, it was hard to find any words. I'd imagined what it would be like to stand before him as the man I am now, I'd thought about it every single day these past six months. I'm sure he'd thought himself sick in that same manner. But, now that we were here, all the words I had thought I'd wanted to say had faded from my mind. What words could possibly get my feelings across? How could I ever tell him all I wanted him to know?

Anthony's focus proved more honed than mine however, his chest lifting slowly as he inhaled a deep, calming breath through his nose. It was odd, when the madness faded from his eyes and his smile disappeared, he looked to be a completely different person. That was almost disheartening. It made it seem as though both Anthony and Anarchy were coming together to strike me down. But, I probably deserved that. His filthy, blood stained mouth opened, and from the Ivory Ghoul a hauntingly calm voice rang clear.

"... So." Gradually Anny tilted his head to the side, chilled rubies never releasing me from their grip. I didn't mind; my own scarlet eyes had him trapped in my own grasp. But I don't think he noticed. His porcelain locks dangled over his face with the shifting of his head, curling around his eyes but never obscuring them. "You finally got those wings, huh Angel?"

My eyes narrowed a little. Those words stung and healed at the same time. It was a painful callback to happier days, but it was also acknowledgement. After those years in the gang, where all Anarchy did was deny that we had any history at all, it was almost gratifying to hear that he _did_ remember those days as clearly as I did. That he thought about the playground, and all our silly kiddie dreams just like I did. He remembered Angel, just like I remembered Anny. But, those days were a distant memory now. The present was more pressing than the past ever could be. "... It's been a long time comin', Anny."

Anarchy squinted a little when I spoke, his expression twitched with some emotion. I couldn't tell what it was, but hearing me call him Anny for the first time in damn near a decade made him feel something. Still, he forced his lips up into a smile that was less than friendly, and when he responded, I could hear the venom dripping from his tongue. "Oh yeah, I heard _all_ about your super hard journey."

"Lemme see if I got this right, okay?" Smile curling into some kind of smirk, Anarchy lifted his hands like he was signalling me to wait. Each of his fingers wiggled sporadically, before he lowered his hands, and began counting on those very same digits. "The list goes like this, right?"

"One: You saved the Underground! Two:" Anarchy's eyes darted back and forth, and he bobbed his head back and forth like he was thinking. Then, his eyes darted back to me, lighting up in mocking glee. "You uh, saved the Underground again, I guess!"

"Three!" It was at this point in Anarchy's listing that I rolled my eyes, catching on easily to his belittling tone. But he was glad to keep going regardless. He leaned to his side, pointing past me and back towards where I had left Chara to recover. "You 'saved' the kicker of a lot more than sides back there, assuring that six months later they'd save your candy ass from some fuckin' knock offs!"

"But hey, it wasn't all bad, right?!" Anarchy leaned back then, throwing his arms up and out to his sides dramatically. "I mean, the real wings were all the friends ya made along the way, right Angel?!"

"You done?" I asked him irritably, my jaw clenching to keep further remarks from snapping free. Anny didn't seem to have that restraint though, his expression instantly twisting into a scowl with my question. He swung his body right forward, his head racing in towards mine. I braced for an impact that never came, Anarchy pausing his face inches from mine. All I could see was the fearsome crimson of his eyes, and his voice crunched in a low, gravely tone.

" _You'll know when I'm done._ " He told me, and I could see his body tremoring with withheld rage. I hardly helped soothe that anger, leaning my head right in and pressing my forehead to his, testing him without any hesitation. The wrath in his ruby orbs flared, but his lips curled into a sneer, and he gladly shoved his head back against mine. Now we were quite literally butting heads, both of our necks craned forward and our feet planted while we shoved our skulls into each other.

"OH, so THAT'S how it's gonna be!" Furiously Anny snickered, narrowing his mad eyes into my stern ones. He pushed his tongue into one cheek, shaking his head against mine like he was disappointed. "And here I thought you were gonna give me the 'We don't have to fight' speech, since APPARENTLY you're just the paragon of goodness these days!"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Anarchy yanked up both his hands before I could. He planted a forceful shove in my chest, and I growled angrily as I was forced to stumble back a step or two away from him. "C'mon, douchebag! Where's my olive branch?!"

"Frisk got one, _they_ got one!" Once again Anarchy was pointing back at Chara, before holding his arms out to his sides again. He leaned his head forward, snarling and snapping his jaws at me with his vicious words while leaving himself wide open. It was like he was _asking_ me to cold clock him. "Even the weird skeleton got one! So where's mine?!"

"You got the goddamn Deltarune branded on your back, right?! So tell me this is all nonsense!" Anarchy rose one foot, before smashing his heel into the earth beneath us. Power shattered through the dirt, leveling the ground and making our footing sink instantaneously into a crater. Blood filled spit was flinging from his mouth with each enraged word he spat up at me, all the disdain and indignation he'd grown and nurtured since he was a kid breaking out in scarlet fires across his skin. "Before we start somethin', don't you just wanna say you're sorry?!"

"C'mon Angel, feed me that bullshit!" As Anarchy clenched his fists, several more pops crackled through the air from the rise of his power. Through his shirt a crimson soul ignited, and over his left eye ruby flames burst to life. Around the scorching light of our DETERMINATION darkness was slithering rapidly, eager worms gnashing their teeth while they awaited their master's command. "Tell me I'm your friend! Tell me you don't wanna kill me! TELL ME IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS ANGEL!"

"..." I didn't say a word. I just stared, disturbingly calm while he grew disturbingly emotional. This just pissed him off even more, forcing his fangs to grind even more brutally against one another. But even as he twitched and shook with boundless fury, I was motionless. I blinked the icy red of my eyes, and that made the scorching fires of his own eyes burn even brighter.

"Lie to me!" Anny demanded, and cardinal electricity crackled across the sky above us. He paused after his demand, fists dripping blood as his finger nails shredded his palms from how tightly they were clenched. And when I still didn't speak, another color suddenly exploded to life on his soul. Along the left side of that valentine heart, I watched absolute darkness take its form. Black fell over red, turning half of Anarchy's soul to something absolutely malevolent. Something I had never seen before. With a primal roar he stomped one foot towards me, and scarlet lightning crashed down from the sky above, blasting into the earth just a few yards behind The Anarchist. "LIE TO ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"..." I narrowed my eyes slowly, and my wings flexed. With this motion, boiling hot winds gusted out from around me. The winds ripped and tore at Anarchy's already damaged clothing, flicking his blood stained hair to and fro. He never flinched of course, staring my power right in the face as I did his. Bending my elbows, my hands clenched into tight fists, and embers flicked from the red veins of my wings. These flames swirled and spiraled through the air around us, and finally, I spoke.

"... Anny. Every time I let you out of my sight, people die." My jaw tightened some with my words, and crimson fires swirled around my left eye, spiraling high into the air. Some of the anger disappeared from Anthony's face once I started talking, and he squinted curiously, hanging on to each and every word I said. "I can't let you run free anymore. I can't let anyone else get hurt because of my mistakes."

"This morning I thought it was my job to save you. I didn't understand." Slowly, I unclenched my fists. I rose my arms, holding them out to my sides. My soul flared, and rapid pops and crashes sounded throughout the air. Then, an updraft of power lifted my hair, making it sway and rise in the winds just before the fiery vortex of my DETERMINATION blasted to life. Crimson light speared upwards into the heavens like some holy tower, and the red of my eyes gleamed with killer focus. "But I get it now."

"Anthony The Anarchist! It is not my job to save you!" My voice boomed powerfully over the roaring winds and the crackling flames of my aura. I shifted my left arm, and fearlessly I pointed right at my best friend. With a huff, scarlet steam rose up from between my teeth and both of my nostrils.

 **"It is my job to put you down!"**

"... Oh. So that's how it is." Squinting his lifeless eyes, Anthony let any trace of a grin or a snarl melt off his face. It was clear to me when I looked at him that he wasn't the happy little kid I knew, and he wasn't the mad man I had known, either. He had grown now, changed into something new. And if I was a betting man, I'd say this new age Anthony was the worst of his incarnations. "Do me a favor, Angel."

Then, fearlessly, Anny lifted that crowbar. And for the first time in my life, the twisted metal that had shaped both our lives was pointed out towards me. I was its target now, and that somehow felt overdue. As Anarchy pointed his weapon of mass destruction out at me, the light of my soul shining over him, his darkness spread rapidly over the ground beneath him. It formed a perfect circle with about the same perimeter as my tower of light, turning the earth beneath him to an obsidian shade. The corner of his mouth curling down into a snarl, Anarchy's flaming left eye crackled with black electricity.

 **"Save your hero speech for someone who gives a shit."**

 _Radioactive_ by _Waterflame_ began playing.

Then, with a boom, a fountain of onyx rain exploded up from beneath Anarchy, consuming him completely in its darkness. The poison madness of The Fountain blasted high into the sky, challenging my holy pillar with a filthy geyser. To my howling winds pouring rains were added. In an instant, the deathly calm of the evening was being turned to a thundering storm. Clouds of red and black were quickly growing overhead, blotting out the setting sun and the appearing stars. Ruby and obsidian lightning crackled occasionally throughout the shadowed sky, the ground quaked, the air popped and crackled.

My wings spread wide behind me, and I planted my feet. My elbows bent at my sides, and scarlet voltage crashed down from the sky above directly behind me the moment I clenched my fists. I could see my crimson reflection in the glassy black of Anarchy's fountain, and it made my expression grow sour. I stared into my own eyes for several long, thoughtful seconds. Seeing the blood red of my orbs for the first time, I realized I'd stared into them before.

*Good luck, son.

Suddenly, my reflection exploded apart, and Anarchy - the blood that stained him washed away by the shadow rain of his fountain - blasted right out from the darkness. He instantly closed the distance between us, his fist cocked back and his face twisted into a furious snarl. I hardly had any time to move before he blasted his knuckles into my jaw, launching me backwards out of my bravado tower. "YOU SELF RIGHTEOUS PRICK!"

I flipped back through the air, landing on the balls of my feet and rapidly sliding back. I threw my arms out to my sides, and my uppermost wings coiled instantly into drill shapes. Then I swung my arms forward, and with that command those drills fired down towards The Anarchist racing closer. Anny ducked under these drills though, running low to the ground and getting underneath my outstretched arms before whipping his body back up to its full height.

This speedy motion caught me off guard, and he drilled an upper cut right into my chin, forcing me to swing my head back. I leaned through though, swiftly planting my palms back on the ground behind me and swinging my feet up at him in a similar uppercut motion. He leaned back in a dodge though, letting me straighten my posture into a hand stand. This pointed my wings right at him, all four of them now coiled into drills that stabbed out at him.

Anarchy was quick to crack his crowbar across one wing, its liquidy form shimmering but not breaking as it was knocked aside. He stomped one foot forward, leaning back one shoulder as another drill wing fired past. He was swaying his body unpredictably, closing the distance between us while perfectly and elegantly evading every strike.

I growled with some frustration as he effortlessly dodged my attacks, pushing off my hands and launching myself over Anarchy. As I spun around in air, I pulled one arm back, clenching that hand into a tight fist. At the same time, a Beat Blaster was rapidly manifesting, and the moment I finished my in air rotation to face Anarchy below, the blaster had taken shape. I threw my hand down at him, and white hot plasma exploded from the Blaster's speaker, launching right over my shoulder and down at The Anarchist.

Anarchy instantly spun around, lifting his right arm to the searing power barreling closer. Just before heat death reached him, a sapphire shield appeared on his arm, and he huddled beneath its protection. Around him the fires of my wrath split, washing over his shield and scorching the earth in a perfect circle around him. Not a drop of fire ever hit him though, and as the stream of heat from my Beat Blaster died down, and I landed on the ground across from him, he lowered his now steaming shield.

"Y'know Angel, gotta say, it's pretty cathartic to finally punch you in the face." Smile dividing his face, Anny rolled his shoulders. Blood shot eyes never stopped staring giddily into the waveless red sea of my own eyes, which glossed down from his malevolent expression, to the crowbar he pointed out towards me, and back to him.

*The old attacks aren't gonna cut it, boys.

"... You sure do talk a lot more than you used to, Anny." I spoke calmly over the whipping winds and pouring rain. It seemed that my tower of crackling energy and Anarchy's geyser of mad water had dissipated into the hellacious storm that loomed over us, now sending sheets of obsidian rain crashing down from above, as well as frequent red streaks of lightning blasting randomly down onto Mount Ebbot. Our combined poison was tainting the world around us, blacking out the sky, scorching the earth, and soaking into all life that it poured over. Without compassion my eyes narrowed, black droplets slipping from my brow down my cheek. "I thought your mom taught you not to speak unless spoken to."

Anarchy's eye twitched at that, his grin changing into a type of snarl. His lips curled back, revealing his rows of fangs. Then, he slammed one foot into the ground before him, causing a spider web of cracks to shatter through the ground beneath our feet. At the same time, lightning cracked down behind him, flashing everything red for only a second. "OH, YOU WANNA SEE WHAT MAMA TAUGHT ME?!"

Then, the swirling shadow beneath him bubbled to life, and a wave of filthy worms split from nothingness. They raced rapidly across the ground, writhing and wriggling over one another and carelessly gnashing their jagged teeth. Hysterically they laughed, like they'd been waiting all their miserable lives to taste my blood. Unfortunately for them, I stamped my foot, and the ground beneath them instantly uprooted in favor of my pens.

Unlike my usual pens, these ones were fountain pens, each one coming to a sharper, triangular point. These blade like edges slashed right through the wriggling filth that was trying so desperately to touch my divine flesh, lopping off heads and body segments. This effectively diced those beasts into wriggling little chunks, stopping their reckless path long before they reached me.

Anny didn't seem to care much about the death of his disgusting pets, diving clear over my pen patch and cranking his crowbar back over his head. My wings beat just as he reached me, launching me back out of range and letting his strike splinter the earth. Shards of stone crashed up unevenly around Anarchy as he concaved the ground, but he hardly noticed, his eyes darting right up and locking on me.

I threw both hands out to my sides, and from the Deltarune on my back ink slipped up my arms. It ran in thin streams along the bottom sides of my arms, steaming with heat. The ink reached my palms, and I threw one hand out towards The Anarchist as he dove from his crater towards me. The boiling ink of my whip wrapped quickly around his throat, smoking against his skin and making his eyes widen as I turned on my heel, yanking my arm out to the left and throwing him with it.

I sent Anny crashing right through the dirt, before tugging my arm back and letting the burning ink of my whip untangle from his now smoldering throat. Just as he got to one knee, I flicked my other whip out towards him, cracking him across the cheek with it and burning a thin slash right through his face. This forced his head to turn to the side, just as my opposite whip slashed out, cutting across his shoulder. No blood was drawn with any of these strikes, the scorching heat of my ink cauterizing every deep but thin gash I left.

Anarchy growled furiously, snow white hair drooping over his eyes and shading them as his skin hissed with pain over and over. I threw my whips to and fro, over and over, turning them to dark blurs in the air between us. I flagellated him for his sins, lashing him over and over and over again and covering him in smoldering black lines of melted skin. He remained knelt, taking his punishment for seemingly as long as I was willing to administer it.

Or at least it seemed that way, until his hands darted up. Effortlessly his fingers snatched both of my whips, the healing red of his misting DETERMINATION mixing with the gross black of his burning flesh. He eagerly wrapped my boiling ink around his palms over and over, being sure to keep it there. Then, those glowing rubies darted up to me from beneath the shadow of his hair, and several more super heated pops crackled through the air.

Then, suddenly, a wildfire of DETERMINED energy blasted out around The Anarchist. It evaporated my already boiling ink whips, freeing his hands and giving him the opportunity to rise right to his feet without any hesitation. But as he bent his elbows at his sides and threw his head back, both of his hands clenched into tight fists, something dawned on me.

 _Where's his crowbar-?_

A gross squelching noise resounded behind me, and my eyes darted over my shoulder just in time to spot some strange, featureless creature. It was shaped like a human, twisting on its unnaturally long upper body from the earth. In the blink of an eye it spun its waist over itself four times, before it rapidly unraveled, swinging its arms up at me. It was only then I realized this abomination crawling out of my own shadow was wielding Anarchy's crowbar.

 _CRACK!_

Eyes widening and blood spilling out through my shattered nose and broken front teeth, I was sent launching to my left, red flames immediately crackling to life over my semi-concaved face. Vision turning to shades of red and becoming polluted with black spots, I still managed to flip back in the air, landing on both feet and sliding back. Growling in pain, I wrapped my hand around my face, clenching my eyes shut tight for a second or two while my nose snapped back into place and my gums popped out more front teeth to replace the the ones Anarchy's sneak attack had just knocked down my throat.

But when I opened my eyes, I was hardly surprised to find that Anarchy wasn't giving me time to recover. He had closed the distance between us, and with his crowbar reclaimed, he was lunging towards me. Madness glinted in his burning left eye, he yanked that crowbar back, but unfortunately for him, my wings beat downward. With a brutal gust of boiling winds, I was launched high into the sky. My updraft caught Anarchy, pushing him back through the air and forcing him back to the ground.

Sky crackling with power behind me, I paused once I reached heights above any of the peaks, opening one palm down towards The Scorpion, condemned to the earth beneath me. Those filthy worms were already racing up through the air towards me, giggling like I hadn't slaughtered the last batch of them with the flick of my wrist. I intended to punish this blasphemy more harshly than I had last time.

Throughout the sky behind me, magic was rapidly shaping into wires and barrels. Three segments were formed on this new creation, three rings. Each ring was progressively larger than the last, the top one being the shortest and the bottom being the largest. This machine was still reminiscent of my Beat Blasters, coming to a speaker like barrel, but its design was significantly more foreboding. These Beat Cannons filled the air behind me, and from deep within their barrels, a crimson light began to shine. The three sections on each Cannon began to spin rapidly, and that light was growing more and more blinding by the second. Finally, in unison, each blaster released scorching red steam from the spaces between their segments, and concentrated scarlet beams rained down from the sky above.

Anny's worms were vaporized in an instant, the scorching rays of my assault immediately closing the distance between me and my brother. I hardly saw a thing, flashing lights engulfing all sight and shrieking energy erasing all other sounds. Shattered stone and smoldering dirt blasted up from the now leveled plateau that had been the arena for Anny and I thus far, sweltering updraft blasting my hair back.

After a few long seconds, the screaming fires of my Beat Cannons slowed to a stop. Their flashing lights dulled to a dim, ruby glow within their barrels, before they finally disappeared from the sky. With my cannons gone, I was alone in the sky. Dark rain steamed back into the black and red clouds above the moment it made contact with my heated skin, and I loomed there in the storm, iced over rubies watching the smoke below as the sheets of rain slowly beat it back into the destroyed dirt.

But then, just as things began to grow calm, and the crashing of the rain was all I could hear, something rose from the smoke below. A massive head, rigid with scales rose up from the earth I'd scorched. Its body was long, very similar to the slimy, writhing mass of Anarchy's worms. But unlike those worms, this creature's blackened body was adorned with bony plates. Uneven scales armored this serpentine monstrosity, and instead of the flat, rounded faces of those worms, this beast's head pointed out into more of a snout. And unlike the eyeless maggots from which it evolved, its face was adorned with more than just a grinning maw. A pair of deep, cardinal eyes snapped open wide above The Wyrm's snout, stabbing right at me. I was hardly affected by glares though, from beasts or otherwise.

Anarchy's Wyrm lurched forward, the sound of its massive body crashing across the earth below overpowering the beating of the rain. Its neck craned down, and with an eardrum shattering scream its jaws spread. Fangs shut rapidly around me, I hardly had any time to move. Instead I lifted both arms above my head, grunting as my hands clamped shut over the two massive fangs barring down from above. At the same time, I planted my feet against the bottom jaw that was racing up to crush me.

Crying out with exertion, I nearly folded. My knees bent with my elbows, and I began to shrink slowly under the pressure of The Wyrm's bite force. But then, I shut my eyes briefly, and drew a deep breath into my lungs. Then, my ruby orbs snapped open wide. My lips curled back in a snarl, revealing my grinding teeth. With a scarlet flare from my soul, I straightened both my knees and my elbows. I rose, my hunched back uncurling as I slowly pushed the jaws of this monstrosity further apart.

Growling and grunting, my wide eyes darted furiously into the black abyss of this abomination's gullet. With its jaws spread wide by my might, there was a clear opening down its throat for the heat rays of the two Beat Cannons appearing at either side of me. And as red light shun brighter and brighter into the dark cavern of The Wyrm's maw, I almost flinched as a pair of beady crimson dots suddenly appeared in the back of the serpent's mouth.

Rapidly those eyes closed in, until Anarchy appeared in the light of my cannons, sprinting full speed down his Wyrm's tongue. He jumped, yanked both knees to his chest, and shotgunned a dropkick into my solar plexus with enough force to send me blasting out from where I was wedged. I folded around where he had kicked me, launching back in a sort of C shape. Without me keeping them apart, the jaws of Anarchy's newest beast snapped shut, once more housing The Anarchist in darkness. Its jaws crashed right through my Beat Cannons, making smoke and flames explode briefly right in the snout of this beast.

I flipped in air, my wings quickly straightening and flapping out with a burst of burning winds and stopping my momentum in an instant. Now paused in air, I watched the Wyrm slither forward and through the smoke of my destroyed cannons, craning its head to the side and darting towards me from my left. Its hissing breaths filled my ears, but my wings beat just as it parted those jaws, launching me over its crunch.

I continued to fly along the Wyrm's lengthy body, and just behind me a row of mechanical pencils was forming. They were larger than my usual mechanical pencils, thicker. And the graphite spikes they launched down through the Wyrm's scales were larger as well, their size tripled. With brutal _thunks_ they were cracking through the tough flesh of this serpent, causing it to stiffen before it swung its head right around to look upon me with wrathful red eyes. Once more it parted those jaws, and a horrible scream blasted out of its throat.

Vibrations permeated the air around me, but still I paused in the trembling sky, throwing my arms out to my sides. With this command, even more graphite ballistas popped into existence in a wave behind me. With a brutal volley more and more spears embedded themselves in the hide of Anarchy's monstrosity, but all that seemed to do was piss it off. With a loud whoosh as warning, one spiny black tail swung up from the earth below.

My wings beat, propelling me even higher into the sky. The air crackled louder and louder the closer I got to the clouds, but I was hardly worried. No lightning would dare strike me. I was the prophet. The one and only Angel chosen to wipe The Anarchist and all of his corruption from this multiverse. The Wyrm's tail crashed through the lines of my ballistas, shredding them to broken graphite and plastic.

Those giant rubies never left me however, even as I nearly breached the clouds. The snout of that massive reptile turned right up to me, before its body shifted strangely. It straightened its plated and spiked back some, puffing out its chest. My eyebrows furrowed with growing bewilderment as I watched a lump quickly rise up this thing's massive neck, before its cheeks puffed out, and I realized I should have moved.

Like a pressurized cannon, black water geysered from the maw of The Wyrm. It blasted up at me like a laser, and though it was liquid, I was certain with the pressure it was fired at that it would peel the skin right off my bones. With that in mind, I threw both hands out in front of me, and from nothingness a keyboard's worth of massive keys were appearing. These buttons were not their usual plastic plates however, they were thicker and boxier. What was once dark plastic was now shiny metal, significantly sturdier than their previous iteration.

The beam of mad water that the limbless dragon was spitting at me broke around my improved wall of keys, spewing out in a cone around me. The shriek of metal slowly being scraped away polluted the air, but I was confident my wall would hold. That was, until a particular thud crashed against it, and a moment later a familiar foot kicked in one of my keys, sending it launching right back at me.

I ducked to the side of this wayward metal chunk, but by the time I looked back I found Anny diving at me. He yanked both fists up over his head, clasped them together, and whipped them down at my head. I was quick though, crossing my arms over my head and catching the knuckle crown he was attempting to plant on me with my forearms. I didn't have much defense for when he pulled one knee up to his chest, crashing his shoe down into my chest with enough force to send me blasting down towards the dirt.

A swarm of worms exploded up from the cracked and uprooted ground I was approaching, gnashing their teeth eagerly. I dropped right into their ranks, body disappearing into writhing darkness and giggling evil. This hardly lasted though, because the second after I disappeared into shadow, a dome of red light exploded out from within the crowding creatures, igniting them in burgundy flames and shredding right through them. Any and all uprooted dirt this searing wave passed over was scorched from brown to an unnatural grey, and any still living grass it hit was quickly wilted. The plants melted under the heat of my soul, turning to a white paste on the grey sands.

What was once a green plateau was now a shredded battleground after the rain of hellfire from my Beat Cannons. A flat landscape now rose and fell unevenly in steep, pointed hills and low, jagged valleys. I stood atop one of those hills for only a moment, before my wings flapped, dragging me back through the air just as Anny crashed down crowbar first from the thundering skies overhead. The loose and burnt dirt of the mound he bashed his weapon into immediately flattened and dented downward from the power of his strike, a shock wave exploding out in a circle around him with enough force to momentarily stop the sheets of poison rain.

For just a sec, everything was dead silent. We stood in a dome of our own power, where no rain could fall and no lightning could crack. Our identical eyes locked. He stared up from under his eyebrows, still knelt with his crowbar in the dirt. I looked down past my nose at him, my chin raised and my eyes squinted judgmentally.

But then, this bubble of force disappeared, and rain crashed over us once more. Thunder boomed so loud I thought the mountain rumbled, and Anny lunged forward at me, cranking his crowbar back to swing at my head. When he swung down at me though, I skillfully swiped my forearm into his elbow, throwing his strike way off course. In the same motion I cocked back my fist, and as I sent it rocketing forward, flames exploded to life along my knuckles. They coiled up my arm in four, swirling strands of fire just as I blasted my punch into The Anarchist's nose.

His face reflexively scrunched around my left hook, the crack and snap of his nose and several other weak bones that made up the front of his skull vibrating up my hand. I wasn't done there though, taking this opportunity to spin on my heel and whip my right side wings back. The boiling ink of my feathers crashed into Anny's face and upper body with enough force to send him firing back through the air.

I planted my left foot to stop my spin dead the moment I finished launching him, but I hardly had any time to catch my breath. A clap of thunder punctuated a scream from The Wyrm, and my eyes darted up to the massive fangs that were crashing down from above. Without hesitation, I yanked one hand up, flattening its palm to the sky at the same time that I stomped my foot into the graying dirt.

With my command, the devastated plains tore apart to my side, and one massive eraser fired up on a pencil's pillar. It launched on an angle over my shoulder, slamming its massive radius right into the jaw of The Wyrm. The beast was clearly jarred by this strike, its ruby eyes snapping open wide as force rammed its skull back, throwing its head to the side.

The moment I had the monster reeling, I clenched my previously raised hand, bending my elbow suddenly upwards. With this order, several more wooden pillars blasted down from the clouds above. Erasers collided with the Wyrm's serpentine body, slamming every wriggling yard of the massive abomination to the ground and pinning it there. Without hesitation I threw up my second hand, circling my first one down at the same time in a clockwise motion.

And as The Wyrm was pushed deeper and deeper into the uprooted dirt, Mount Ebbot rumbled louder and louder. Then, finally, massive spikes in the form of those fountain pens fired up from beneath the furious lizard, stabbing right into its scales. Its bloodcurdling scream once more made the air vibrate, but that really just encouraged me to jam my pens more brutally upward. After a few long moments, black blood spattered up into the air, and the scales along the other side of The Wyrm split suddenly, my pens cutting clean through the beast.

When it finally stopped both its screaming and its wriggling, my eyes darted ahead and back to Anny. He had landed against the massive body of his Wyrm after my wings had slapped him back through the air, and now he sat there, leaning casually against the bleeding corpse of his reptile. To my surprise, he did not look upset about the murder of his newest thrall. In fact, with a red glimmer in his eyes, his face cracked in two with a smile.

I was so focused on his deadman's smile that I didn't realize the corpse of The Wyrm was bubbling and squirming unnaturally behind him until it was too late. Its scales crawled and crept until finally they split, exploded open. From The Wyrm's mass, thousands of its underdeveloped worm siblings blasted free. Still dripping with its shadow blood, maw after maw of jagged fangs fired right by the smiling Anarchist. He didn't seem to feel even the slightest discomfort as those filthy, blood soaked creatures slithered over his body. He just sat there with his warm and inviting smile until finally he disappeared into the writhing ranks of giggling invertebrates, and I was faced with the incoming tidal wave.

Immediately I stomped one foot in front of me, throwing up both open palms to the oncoming stampede. The earth before me shattered apart, a row of pen pikes darting up in the worm's path. I then waved my arms out to my sides, and my wall of spears grew from both its left and right, forming a curved guard in front of me, In the next instant, those reckless freaks crashed right into the points of my pens.

The ripping and tearing of flesh accompanied the endless giggling of the horde, and the sky over me was blocked out as some abominations flung themselves right over my barricade and myself. It wasn't long before the bodies stacked on my pens covered their points however, and as teeth chomped over the peak of my defense and filthy tongues caught my scent, my wings straightened behind me.

The ink of my feathers flattened to a sharpened edge, and I bent my elbows at my sides, clenching my fists so tight that red embers crackled between my fingers. DETERMINED steam rising from my super heated body, my wings darted outward in a V shape, opening around the piling worms that were tumbling down towards me. Then, like a massive pair of scissors, my wings sliced inward, instantly decapitating and dismembering the onslaught from above.

I swiftly spun on my heel, yanking back my right fist and blasting an earth shattering punch right into the face of the worm attempting to flank from my left. The impact was so powerful that my DETERMINATION exploded out from a dozen points down the worm's body in red beams, followed immediately by pitch black blood. At the same time that one worm crumpled limp, I spun around, bringing up one foot to the air. Ink streamed from my heel in a short, thin blade that severed the head of the serpentine gnawing towards me from my right.

I planted both feet on the ground, facing forward once more. The only light in this wriggling horde was the burning crimson of my soul and all the glowing steam that rose from my body, as well as the ever dimming and brightening veins of scarlet that illuminated my wings. Bending my knees, I pulled both hands up from below my waist to over my head, and around me those sharp pens exploded from the earth. They pistoned up and down, slashing through the worms that slithered ever closer from every angle and adding mechanical whirrs to the giggling and slimy slurps of the worms slipping over one another.

For the worms that got by the rows of pens constantly darting up and down, my blade like wings were violently slashing to and fro, sending shadowy ichor spraying left and right with obsidian chunks of flesh. Rapidly my ruby eyes were darting around, and my fists would dart out to deliver a crushing punch to any invertebrate that made it into arm's reach. For minutes that felt like hours I slaughtered those horrors, until their viscera slick bodies piled like walls around me.

From there, I planted my feet, straightening my back and puffing out my chest just before letting out a violent cry. With my roar another wave of cardinal flames exploded out around me, crashing into corpses old and new. Burning worm chunks were sent flying throughout the air around me, but before I had even a second to breathe, one furious albino crashed through the tumbling flesh right in front of me.

Anny blasted right towards me, cocking back his shield bearing right arm and blasting a right hook into my jaw. The force threw my head back and made me skid on my heels, all while he landed right in front of me, sliding forward with his momentum and spinning through his punch. Swinging 360 degrees to build momentum, Anarchy sent his crowbar crashing down at the crook of my neck.

But despite my split lip, my hand darted up, stopping that disgusting metal in my palm. Like a vice my fingers clamped around our Inheritance, and my eyes locked with his in a clear challenge. This made his face contort in a feral snarl, before he spun all the way through, sending the knuckles of his shield baring hand racing for my cheek again.

I was prepared this time however, my palm forcing his powerful strike to a stop. The force of this collision shattered the earth beneath our feet and made several bones in the back of my hand splinter, but still my fingers snapped down, digging into his fist and keeping it trapped there. The both of us frothing with rage, we pulled each others hands down, both our arms crossed over our abdomens and our hands still trapped either with one another or gripping that crowbar.

*Sibling rivalry.

We both pulled our heads back, cracking our foreheads together with brutal headbutts. The ground around us split rapidly, dust exploding up from the earth we shattered with one simple collision. We snarled and growled, blood trickling down our foreheads while DETERMINED steam rose up from them, healing us with freakish quickness. Around us the air popped and crackled, and red and black lightning crashed down again and again, the closest bolts landing just five to ten feet from us.

"Well I gotta say Angel!" Grinning like the madman he was, Anarchy kept shoving his skull into mine. His dirty, beat up shoes dug into the dirt at our feet, which was quickly turning from a grey sand to an almost mushy white paste, not unlike what any plant life near us had already become. "You've definitely grown a pair since I last saw ya! I thought for sure you'd be crying and begging for mercy by now!"

"You n' me both know you don't _do_ mercy, Anny!" My feet, too, were beginning to sink into the softening dirt. The heat around us was sweltering, climbing higher and higher into the triple digits. If either of us ever sweat a drop, we never noticed, any trace of water evaporating from us. The pouring rain never reached us, instead turning to steam the instant it hit the crackling dome of heat around us.

"Can't give," Anny suddenly cranked his head as far back as he could, red flames exploding to life over his forehead before he whipped it forward. With a headbutt much harder than the last he crashed his skull into mine, and I was forced to stumble back. My head leaned back, I momentarily lost a few motor functions, my hands unwrapping from his fist and his crowbar. As I blinked my eyes out of sync and my pupils dilated, Anthony stomped one foot forward, cranking his crowbar back behind him before swiping it through the air with breakneck speed. "What I never RECEIVED!"

A disgusting crunch resounded as he slammed his crowbar into my solar plexus, forcing me to double over. Scarlet ichor spewed out from both my nostrils and my gaping maw, and red energy exploded out from my back from the sheer force of his impact. My knees buckled, and I started to drop down to my hands, before one knee flew up and rammed into my chin, launching me right back up.

"C'mon Cter! I thought you were a nice, friendly guy now!" As I ascended up into the air, I felt Anny's hand clamp shut over my ankle, just before he turned on his heel, yanking me through the air and shitwhipping me back across the shattered plain. "Where's the one liners? Where's the stupid fuckin' jokes?!"

The music faded out as I sailed through the air, red still smoking from me and rapidly healing my wounds. I spun back with a flap of my wings, landing on both feet and one hand. I skidded back across the torn up, scorched dirt until finally my back hit a wall of overturned earth, forcing me to a stop. With my momentum gone, I dropped to one knee, resting my right hand over my still throbbing abdominal while I winced up at Anarchy.

"Don't'cha wanna throw a Pokeball at me Cter?" Anny held his arms out to his sides, leaning his head forward and leaving himself wide open. "Maybe a 'Joe Mama' joke? I heard you're a real funny guy, Cter!"

My hand slowly clenched into a fist in the dirt, red flaring in my soul as my rage boiled hotter. I knew what he was doing. Saying that name over and over. He was mocking me. Insulting me and the entire life I had built.

" _At least_ threaten to diddly darn snap my neck!" Anarchy rolled his mockingly desperate eyes, bouncing his head from one shoulder to the other as he approached me. But then those animal eyes darted right back to me, madness flickering in them like a basement light bulb. "Isn't that who you are now, _Cter_?"

"Just a funny, easy going, lovable scoundrel, right Cter?" As Anny spoke, lightning crackled some around me. I hadn't risen yet, but my body hardly ached anymore. My muscles tightened, my heart pumped boiling blood. My head stayed low, but my glowing red eyes glared holes in the ground.

"None of your happy little friends and family have to know you were a scumbag, do they Cter?!" Anny was shouting now, looming over me. He kept his arms held out to his sides, his shadow falling over me along with rain drop after rain drop. What had been a smile a moment ago was now a furious frown. His fangs were bared, his eyes were wide and his pupils were shrunken. "NOBODY NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO LIL' OL' ANNY, DO THEY CTER?!"

 _Stab!_

 _King, Scar. Instrumental_ by _scarlxrd_ began playing.

Anarchy's eyebrows rose with genuine surprise, and as his endless blood began to overflow down his bottom lip, a little smile curled his face. He was suspended in air now, arms and legs dangling limp. My four wings had drilled upwards into his abdomen, skewering him and pushing him up into the air. Now he was hanging there, his tainted ichor trickling down my wings in crimson streams.

Slowly I turned my head upwards, letting the burning red of my DETERMINED eyes land upon him. My face was covered in shadow, the only thing visible being the glow of my eyes. I can't imagine what kind of monster I must have looked like, but the sight of me certainly made Anny giggle. Regardless, my soul flared, and the ground split in a spiderweb of cracks beneath me, scarlet light shining out from below. Under the veil of shadow my mouth moved.

 **"Cter isn't here."**

"Stop it you're scaring me!" Anarchy didn't have any problem continuing with his mockery even when I had his body posted up on spikes, his mad dog smile only growing. I growled furiously at his lack of fear, but before I could punish him further for his disobedience, the tearing of flesh and fabric filled my ears. The shoulders of Anny's shirt ripped apart, and more of his blood flicked through the air as two large black masses slid rapidly out from his split flesh.

These strange appendages were made up of three segments, and covered in a black, chitinous armor. The first two segments worked almost like a bicep and a forearm, but the third was significantly larger than its other two segments. It was bulky and almost of an ovular shape, but split down the middle in a jagged and rough pattern. I recognized these appendages as a scorpion's pincers.

Anarchy's pincers snapped down, crunching right through the ink of my wings and severing the drills with which I held him. I was quick to jump back as Anarchy dropped right back to his feet, my clipped wings bubbling and steaming as they quickly began their regeneration. Anny hardly gave me any time though, immediately leaning himself forward and letting yet another gross rip echo through the air. From his tailbone a third chitinous, segmented arachnid appendage coiled up over his head, coming to a poison dipped hook. A stinger to match his pincers.

Clenching my jaw irritably, I threw both my arms out to my sides to summon two Beat Cannons. But before they could fully materialize, Anny pushed off his foot, launching himself forward at a stunning speed. The ground that he pushed off of exploded back and piled into a small hill, and he reached me in a split second.

Before I had time to react, those pincers darted out, smashing down around each of my shoulders. They crunched bone like paper mache, forcing an agonized scream out of my throat. Feebly I tried to pull myself back away, writhing back and forth in the vice grip that snapped my arms like twigs. My still reforming wings flapped violently, but no amount of struggling could get me out of his predatory grasp.

I threw my head back, and my eyes snapped open wide when I saw his stinger coil up over his head. Stomping my foot, a pen fired up from the ground between us, and it ripped right through the abdomen of The Anarchist. he hardly flinched however, even as his organs were sliced through, and his stinger darted down at a stunning speed.

THUNK THUNK THUNK!

My body jolted back and forth, my mouth agape and my wide eyes missing their pupils. Anny's tail jabbed brutally, stinging once before yanking itself free to stab me again, and then again. Venom was injected into my abdomen three times over, and I felt his vile poison burn through my veins, rapidly spreading across my body from each hole he'd put in me.

His pincers must have released me, because I stumbled back away from him. My dilating pupils darted left and right, eyes wincing and widening to try and make out my surroundings. But it was hard, the world had suddenly went dark. If it was still raining, I didn't feel it. If there was still thunder, I didn't hear it. The red smoke of my DETERMINATION still rose from my obliterated shoulders, bone and muscle reforming while I tried to see in The Dark.

"... I've waited a long time for this, Angel." Anthony's voice was low now. Deep and dark. It was the only sound I could hear as my skin grew more and more pale, my breathing becoming more and more labored. I could hear Anny, but he was nowhere to be seen in the pitch black shadows. His voice echoed around me, like I was trapped in one big onyx square. It reverberated and echoed in my ear drums.

"Feels like my whole life I've been chasing you, you know." When I heard the echo of his words begin behind me, I spun right around, my soaking hair whipping to the opposite side of my forehead with a wet slap when I threw my head around. With confusion I squinted, spotting only a shape made of a strange, grey mist.

"I waited for you every single day after you left." The fog manifested the outline of a familiar little boy, standing politely. He had perfect posture, his hands folded together over his lap. In the shifting shade, I thought I saw his perfect smile, thought I could see the pure, innocent scarlet of his eyes. But when I took a step towards him, when I reached out to him, a gust of wind blew the fog away, revealing it was nothing but a mirage. "It's funny, thinking about it now. I spent every second I could thinking about you, but you probably hardly even remembered me, huh Angel?"

"Looking back, its kind of amazing we ever got along. Even back then, we were so completely different..." I continued to throw my head back and forth while I listened to his voice, blinking repeatedly into The Dark to try and spot him. All I found was more of that grey fog though. It clouded around me, shifted and swirled in strange, incomprehensible shapes. "But, I guess I was just so desperate for any drop of KINDNESS that I gravitated to the friendly kid that you were."

"But you weren't like me, were you, Angel? No, you kept me around for a different reason." Finally, in the swirling smog, I started to see another shape. The moment I spotted it though, I wish I hadn't. It was another tiny little kid, this one possibly more familiar than the last. His head was covered by the oversized hood of his too-big hoodie. Unlike little Anny, his posture was poor. He was held in close to himself, the green flickering of his eyes stinging me with their KINDNESS. "You were just so desperate for attention, you must have loved having someone deify you like I did, huh Angel?"

"Mommy and daddy just _didn't hug you enough_ , did they Angel?" I recoiled when I heard Anny say that, my eyes quickly narrowing. My pupils twitched with rage, and my jaw clenched along with my fists. I watched as a pair of scarred, pale white hands reached out of The Dark behind this mirage of a little boy, slowly wrapping around his face. Ivory fingers shrouded the green flicker of his eyes. "That's why you make your little jokes. That's why you learned to flip your charisma on like a switch. You just want someone to notice you _so bad_ , don't you Angel?"

"SHUT UP!" I found myself shouting, feet moving without me even thinking. I sprinted over the onyx floor beneath me, rage flaring in my red eyes before I finally dove into the air. I jumped, launching towards that mirage and the shrouded figure that stood behind it with some kind of flying kick. Unfortunately, I passed right through the fog, never connecting with anything. I landed on both feet, coming to an abrupt stop and lurching forward some, my scarlet orbs wide with confusion. "What the..?"

"That's why you jumped at the chance to be their hero, isn't it, Angel?" I spun around the moment I heard Anny behind me, but as soon as I spotted what the fog had formed behind me, I jumped right back. I knocked myself off balance, swinging my arms wildly before I landed flat on my ass. Still, as I looked upon this massive structure that the shifting dark had crafted, I crawled slowly back away from it, fearful pupils trembling in my eyes. "Because that would mean everyone's eyes would _finally_ be on you!"

"You're such a _special boy_ , Angel! Surely everyone should pat you on the back and ruffle your hair! You _deserve it_!" I shook my head slowly, eyes locked on the massive statue that loomed over me. It was in my likeness, standing tall and confident. Behind it, its wings were spread wide, giving it a grand appearance. It made me look perfect, like some holy being meant to be worshiped. It's engraving read clearly,

 **CTER THE ANGEL**

"You _want_ to be deified, don't you Angel?! You think you deserve it?!"

"No!" I shouted, reflexively yanking up one hand. On my command, pens exploded up from the shadowed floor, crashing right through this monument to me. It didn't crumble like the stone it resembled should have though, instead just misting away in streams of grey. "T-that's-! That's not-!"

CRACK!

I flung back across the ground, blood flinging from my jaw. From nothingness a familiar metal stung me, immediately disappearing back into the void afterwards. I was sent sliding across the smooth obsidian floor on my shoulder, red misting from my jaw as soon as it was shattered. Eventually my slipping came to a stop, and I crumpled flat on my cheek, panting heavily. Sweat and blood dripping off my face, I heard Anthony's voice echo again. "There's just one problem. You _aren't_ a hero. You're a villain."

"And you must have been terrified, right?" Slowly, I lifted my head, which still bobbed up and down slightly with my labored breathing. I squinted into the swirling mist before me, watching as dozens of shapes were beginning to form. Person after person, Monster after Monster. Every friend I had made here, lined up and standing together like they were just waiting for me to join them. "That they would find out. About you, about everything you did. About everything you are."

"Because, if they did, you wouldn't be their hero anymore, would you, Angel?" I watched as their friendly expression turned sour, and they all began to shift with unease. My eyes gradually widened as they started to step back away from me, and when they began turning their backs, my hand lifted, reaching out towards them feebly. Everyone, from Asriel to Whimsun, all moved quickly, fleeing from me like I was diseased. I was sick. "They would be _terrified_. _Disgusted_."

"You wanted to pretend your actions don't have consequences, Angel. But they do." Then, through the form of Monster Kid in the center smoke, a crowbar swung lazily. This simply wave of the cruel metal was all it took to gust aside the mirages of all my new friends, destroying them in an instant. Now, the only other sight in The Dark was Anthony The Anarchist. He walked with clear purpose through the lifting fog, his crowbar gripped tight in his hand. His pincers loomed ominously over each of his shoulders, and over his head the poisonous hook of his stinger waved slightly from side to side. "Karma: what you did in your past life dictates your fate in this one."

*He wants to take it all from you.

"Angel The Hacker, you don't own all that you have." With a hateful cold his eyes narrowed, his knuckles growing to even whiter shades the tighter they clenched. With long, confident strides he was approaching, and it was all I could to push myself up to one knee. Glaring up at him, I kept one hand planted on the smooth, onyx floors. My free hand reached up, wiping the blood stains from my chin away with the back of my fist. "Your wings sprout from the darkness inside you. The peak you stand at the top of is made from all your lies."

*All the work you put in is going to go up in smoke.

" _I'm_ the effect of your cause." The corner of his mouth curling into a snarl, Anarchy stopped right in front of me again. He loomed there, staring down at me without a single blink. It's like he wanted to take in every bit of this moment that he could, wanted to experience every single second. But that was hardly my focus. The more the gravity of the situation bared down on me, the angrier I got. The longer I stared at his face, the hotter my soul burned. Maybe it's because of what he was saying, maybe I thought he sounded pretentious. Maybe it was the fact that he was striking each of my nerves, each of my insecurities. Maybe it was the way he resembled his father. Whatever it was, the closer doom got, the more power I felt surging inside me. " _I'm_ the consequence of your actions!"

*Are you just gonna let him take everything away, little Angel?

"SO COME ON! QUIT MAKIN' THIS SO EASY!" As Anny challenged me, my hand slowly clenched into a white knuckled fist against the smooth, unnatural floor. My jaw tightened, and fire crackled over my left eye as he leaned over me, his face suddenly splitting in a grin. Like some mad bull I huffed from my nose, sending crimson steam smoking out from my nostrils. "FIGHT ME SO I CAN BEAT YOU! LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT FEELS ON THE LOSING END!"

*Are you gonna let him talk to you like this?! Defy you like this?!

 _No! I'm! Not!_ My lips suddenly curled back, revealing my fangs. The air around us pressurized, before once again red winds blasted out around me, slamming into Anarchy with all of their scorching heat. Beneath my fist on the ground red cracks suddenly splintered the dark floor, shattering out around us. I opened my mouth in a roar, and power surged from my soul, exploding out in a mass of crimson aura. This shock wave of power crashed into Anarchy, making him snarl and throw up both arms to guard his face while he was forced to slide back on the balls of his feet. The music stopped abruptly.

Suddenly, with this massive surge of my DETERMINATION, The Dark exploded apart around us. Shadows receded right back where they belonged, and we were once more atop Mount Ebbot and under the storm of our power. My clipped wings flexed, and the half of their feathers that they were missing suddenly exploded out from them, regenerating instantly.

"Fuck karma!" My wings beat downward the moment they healed, firing me right up into the sky above as I shouted my curses. I ascended rapidly, the force of my uprising sending the earth I'd been kneeling upon exploding up in a plume of dust. In mere seconds I was inches from the clouds, their black and red electricity crackling just behind me.

"Fuck what you think of me!" As I continued to scream from above, Anny planted his feet and bent his knees, preparing to lunge up at me. But, before he could, the dirt beneath him shattered open, inky black chains firing up at him. They wrapped over his bent elbows and his wrists, yanking his arms down to his sides. One chain quickly coiled around each segment of his tail, pulling it flat to the ground at the same time that his pincers were wrapped in ink bindings and forced shut. He snarled and struggled as chains launched up around either side of his chest, wrapping in an X over him. And as he roared defiantly, shaking his head, one final chain flung up, lodging itself right between his jaws and making his eyes go even more wide with even more rage. Violently my ink bonds pulled against him, and despite his violent struggling, he was gradually forced down to his knees.

"And you know what?!" I opened one palm down towards him, yelling over the rain's ceaseless pounding as well as thunder's boom and lightning's crash. In the dark sky, light was beginning to shine brightly. Red dots rapidly took shape as Beat Cannons began to circle below me. The world around us was quickly being illuminated in a crimson hue as rings of light filled the sky.

The widest ring and also the closest to the ground took shape first. The Angel's First Halo, **Order.**

The second ring was a little closer together and a little higher up than the last. The Angel's Second Halo, **Judgement.**

After that was another higher, thinner ring. The Angel's Third Halo, **Punishment.**

Higher into the sky, The Angel's Fourth Halo, **Repentance.**

Then, The Angel's Fifth Halo, **Might.**

The Angel's Sixth Halo, **Wrath.**

And finally, smoothing the top of my Beat Dome was my Seventh Halo. **Sacrifice.**

My Massive Beat Dome circled the entire peak of Mount Ebbot, shining so brightly that it could likely be seen for miles around. Furiously my expression contorted, fires exploding out around my crimson soul. My eye burned so brightly that its flame covered the entire left side of my face, and its heat made cracks start to split through the skin surrounding my eye socket. Red shined from within those cracks as well, the glow of my soul shining just under my skin. Finally, I roared at the very top of my lungs. "FUCK! _**YOU!"**_

The boom was like nothing I had ever heard before. Sound shattered the air, the vibration of my blasters filling the space all around us. Like an atomic bomb my Beat Dome ignited, instantly searing through the top of my mountain. Anything from stone peaks to the littlest caterpillars that couldn't wriggle away in time were instantly melted and then vaporized. Dirt was burned into sand and then into glass. Trees were reduced to blackened smudges on the scorched earth.

The brutal explosion of force and the updraft of all that heat exploded out for miles around. I could feel the skin on my outstretched hand starting to burn off, but my DETERMINATION healed the singed away skin at the same pace that it was destroyed. The power blasting in all directions smashed into the clouds over my head so hard that they parted. The moon and the stars and the blackish purple void in between was revealed, all the previous damage from our collision completely blown out of the water by this one massive attack.

Across my face, my outstretched arm, and even my back between my four wings. Cracks were rapidly and painfully splitting my flesh, DETERMINATION glowing from within. Any blood boiled to a mist before it had a chance to drip down my steaming skin, and my jaw clenched tighter. My eye twitched with pain, but my soul burned brighter than ever. As cracks began to split around the valentine heart flaming in my chest, and the rumbling shouts of my Halos threatened to deafen me, I closed my eyes tightly.

Then, finally, after sticking out the pain for several moments longer, when it felt my soul was going to tear my body apart, I let my numb arm drop limp. The booming sound of my Massive Beat Dome began to quiet, and the scorching heat as well as the blinding lights began to cool and dim. Slowly, the massive dome of fire began to grow smaller and smaller, and my Halos disappeared one by one from the sky.

Unevenly my wings beat, and I gasped for air desperately as my shaky, blurry vision watched the smoking pit below. Then, finally, I blinked my eyes a little too long. When I next opened them, I realized I was plummeting down towards the glassed earth, but I was so exhausted I considered just closing my eyes again and resting a little longer before stopping myself from splattering on the blast sight.

I managed to get a weak grip on my senses however, tilting my head up to look down at the earth I was rapidly approached. With my right arm - the arm opposite to the one I had been commanding the Beat Dome with - I reached out to the ground. I winced as black ink with a few drops of red swirled out of the Deltarune on my back, pouring down my extended arm and to the earth below. I formed a large pillar of liquid reaching up to me, which I then plunged into. I sunk through my ink and blood quickly at first, but eventually my magic slowed me enough for a nonlethal impact.

My ink pillar splattered down to a large puddle with me face down at its center, limbs sprawled out around me. All four of my wings had disappeared into my now cracked and steaming back, the glow of my Deltarune dimming gradually. I laid there, staring off into the settling smoke with my head laying on its side and my cheek smushed against the singed glassy sands. My limbs felt as though they were made of lead, and every gasp I took just inhaled more of the burning smell that i'm sure permeated everything in the tri-county area.

Finally, after one or two minutes, I twitched with life. I gradually got my hands under myself, and low, gravely grunts escaped my throat as I forced myself up. Eventually I leaned back, seating myself on my knees and letting my weak arms lay over my lap, the backs of my hands resting in the dirt. My eyes narrowed weakly at the smoldering red cracks that still ran along my left arm. They steamed red, but they did not heal. I felt a similar stinging pain around my left eye, and down my back and chest. When I tilted my head down, I spotted similar smoking cracks surrounding my still smoking soul.

But then, I looked from my own wounds to the one I had inflected upon the land. Around me there was no longer any green. There were no longer any rising peaks. I had completely leveled the top of the mountain, desecrated it as a land mark. All to kill The Anarchist. I stared into the swirling dust that still lingered before me, and suddenly I felt a tinge of guilt.

I let my head hang low, shutting my eyes on the scene before me. Everything he had said about me had been true. Everything he had said had hurt. I knew he hated me, even when we were in the gang. But to see it, so violent and passionate and true... I suddenly felt as though I didn't deserve this victory, if one could even call this a victory. I was always aware of my mistakes, plagued with my guilt.

But as I knelt there, in the wake of pure unadulterated devastation that was directly my fault in every way, I felt... Empty. Alone. Like I really was a villain, like I really was poison. And like I would never be able to change that. It felt like, just being me was a sickness. And in that instant I was convinced there was no cure. So, pathetically, I let three little words out of my throat, quiet as a whisper.

"... I'm sorry, Anny..."

 _Crunch... Crunch... Crunch..._

My head suddenly darted up, my eyes opening wide. In the shifting fog of destruction, I saw a shadow taking form. It sauntered through the valley of shadow and death, and after several long seconds of staring, one bare, pale foot stepped through the smoke.

His shirt and his shoes had been scorched away, along with his pincers and his tail. His jeans had been turned into uneven, burned and hole ridden shorts. But still, Anthony The Anarchist walked right out of that smoke, back straight and eyes forward. His pale skin was still smoking red in places, burns healing back to his usual scarred up flesh.

Disbelief settled over my expression with just a hint of hopelessness, my shoulders sinking. I just sat there on my knees, watching silently as he sauntered ever closer. His shield was gone from his arm, but in his bleeding fingers he never let go of that crowbar. He walked right out of my Massive Beat Dome, face a stoic mask. His clothes were destroyed, his body was still smoking to close a few brutal wounds, and yet he looked completely unphased. Emotionless.

"... That's your most powerful attack, right?" Anthony finally spoke, his voice the only sound left in this obliterated plain. Behind him smoke and dust still swirled, like nothing existed behind his unstoppable path. I couldn't respond. I was so jarred, so completely in shock, that all I could do was stare at him, my jaw slightly ajar. He smiled just a little at that, a twinkle of sadistic joy in his eyes. "I thought so."

Then, suddenly, the smog behind him shifted. To either side of him a massive, pitch black pincer seeped out of its cover. Over his head, one gigantic, curled stinger rose from the smoke, coiling its pike sized point menacingly. My eyes widened further as I suddenly felt rumbling in the ground, and Anarchy's Scorpion stepped forward from the mist of destruction. The kaiju arachnid loomed behind Anny, every eye on its head darting right down to me while its mandibles eagerly snapped at each other, like it was excited to devour me.

"That's _great_!" Anthony's chest start to lift and quake, giggles escaping through his grinding teeth. He craned his neck to the side, tilting his head back as his grin curled from one ear to the other. DETERMINED fire ignited over his left eye as his snickering exploded out into full blown, hysterical laughter. He threw both his arms out to his sides, like he was bathing in this lovely scenario. And while his jaws snapped to and fro in his giddy laughing, he shouted his happy threat.

 **"Wanna see _mine_?!" **

* * *

**Please Favorite, Follow, and Review.**

 **XWolf26, out**


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